Motorists drive on Mombasa Road, next to the construction site of the Nairobi Expressway, undertaken by Chinese contractor China Road and Bridge Corp (CRBC), in Nairobi, Kenya, on July 12. [Photo/Agencies]
CRBC project to significantly ease traffic jams, cut commuting times
NAIROBI－Bernard Maloni lives in Mlolongo, about 23 kilometers southeast of the Kenyan capital Nairobi's central business district. But he works in the western side of the capital.
Maloni's daily commute of about 30 km takes the self-employed electrical engineer between two to three hours one way by car depending on traffic conditions.
His main source of income is repairing broken electric equipment that customers bring to his workshop as early as 6 am.
"Most of my clients operate electric machines which sometimes break down at night and hence need urgent service the next morning," Maloni told Xinhua News Agency on July 13.
The 35-year-old said that the amount of time he spends on the road takes a heavy toll because he cannot attend to his early morning clients on time.
"Due to the amount of traffic on the road, I typically arrive at work at 8 am and this means lost revenue," he said.
Maloni is among the thousands of daily commuters who are eagerly awaiting the completion of the Nairobi Expressway.
The road is currently under construction via a public-private partnership model by China Road and Bridge Corp (CRBC).
The 27.1-km dual carriageway runs from Mlolongo on the Mombasa-Nairobi highway, passes through downtown Nairobi, and terminates in the west of the city.
The road project will have 10 interchanges for entry and exit along its length.
James Macharia, cabinet secretary, Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure Housing, Urban Development and Public Works, said that the main reason for the construction of the road is to eliminate traffic congestion between Mlolongo and downtown Nairobi.
Motorists drive on Mombasa Road, next to the construction site of the Nairobi Expressway, undertaken by Chinese contractor China Road and Bridge Corp (CRBC), in Nairobi on July 12. [Photo/Agencies]
Macharia said the contractor is working on a 24-hour basis to ensure that it is completed by December. According to the Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA), the project is about 60 percent complete and will reduce travel time between Mlolongo and Westlands from the current two hours to 20 minutes.
The road agency said that the project is part of the northern transport corridor that is the main gateway for imports and exports between the port of Mombasa and the landlocked countries of Uganda, Rwanda and others.
KeNHA said that the Nairobi Expressway will also improve the country's status as a regional transportation hub due to lower transportation costs.
Kendrick Bosire, a taxi operator, blames the perennial traffic jams along Mombasa Road.
"I am only able to make three trips daily along the road due to slow movement of vehicles," Bosire said.
He added that with the opening of the Nairobi Expressway, he hopes to make at least six trips daily which will double his income.
Elaine Wawire, a trader, said that due to traffic congestion, she is forced to close her shop in downtown Nairobi early every day.
"I have to be at home by 6 pm to cook dinner for my family so that means I have to close the business by 4 pm in order to beat the traffic," Wawire said.
She added that once the Nairobi Expressway is operational, her business will be open for more hours during the day, resulting in higher income.
