End in sight for misery on Nairobi’s Outer Ring Road

The much-awaited upgrading of Nairobi’s busy Outer Ring Road will begin soon, signalling an end to the traffic nightmare and a change of lifestyle for inhabitants of the densely populated Eastlands areas.
The new road will have dedicated bus lanes, Transport Secretary Michael Kamau told the Sunday Nation.

And, just as was witnessed during the construction of the eight-lane Thika superhighway, buildings put up on road reserves will be brought down.

“Anyone who has encroached on the road reserve along the Outer Ring Road should expect that those structures will be brought down once construction starts. There is no debate about that,” he said.

Mr Kamau did not give the anticipated cost of the construction saying negotiations with the African Development Bank ended on Thursday and the bank’s board is yet to make a final decision.

“I am confident that we will get the money, so that should not be an issue,” he said.

The Kenya Urban Roads Authority advertised for bids early this month, which are to be opened on December 16.

Construction is expected to begin next year and take three years bringing an end to decades of misery for users of the road.

The 13 km stretch starts at the General Service Unit headquarters on Thika Road (Allsops) and ends at the Taj Shopping Mall on the Eastern bypass.

The road will be upgraded to a dual carriageway and will have a seven-metre wide service road on each side, footpaths, and a cycle lane with drains on both sides.

A median (bus lane) that can accommodate rapid transit vehicles will also be constructed complete with bus stops.

Access roads into Donholm and Tena, Southlands, Jacaranda, Umoja 2 and Kayole will have a six-lane underpass while the Jogoo Road roundabout will be replaced with a full four-leaf clover interchange.
There will be an underpass on Lunga Lunga Road for trucks going into Industrial Area.

The plan shows that major drainage will be widened and improved to include bridges across the Mathare, Nairobi and Ngong rivers.

Two railway bridges will be built, one just before the Kangundo Road junction exit, and another near the Taj Mall.

Some 10 pedestrian footbridges are part of the plan that also includes four passenger transfer stations.

“It will look very nice once it’s complete,” Mr Kamau said.

Street lighting and landscaping form part of the project.

The road upgrade also entails construction of new grade separated junctions with an underpass at the Juja Road junction and two flyovers, one at the Kangundo Road junction and the other at the Mumias Road junction.

The road will open access to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport via Airport North Road to the Thika superhighway.

It will also serve thousands of residents of Baba Dogo, Huruma, Kariobangi North and South, Lumumba, Umoja, Innercore, Tena and Dandora estates. Other estates that will also be opened up include Buru Buru Phase 5, Kayole, Komarock, Savannah, Donholm, EABS, Tassia and Embakasi.