PS: New design plan has cut cost of building roads

A new road design plan based on traffic load has helped reduce construction costs by Sh60 million per kilometre.

Infrastructure Principal Secretary John Mosonik said the cost of constructing a high traffic road is currently Sh80 million per kilometre, down from Sh140 million.

At the same time, the PS noted, the government has been able to reduce the cost of building a kilometre of rural road from Sh70 million to Sh35 million.

“Designing of road depending on traffic load helps bring down the cost of road construction,” he said. “That is the reason the government achieved building a kilometre of a high tarmac road at Sh80 million and a kilometre of a rural road at Sh35 million.”

ISPECTING CONSTRUCTION

The PS, who was speaking in Mombasa after inspecting construction of roads in Kilifi, Kwale, Tana River and Lamu counties, said the government had increased the number of kilometres of road being built annually to 600km, from the previous 250km.

He said the government had constructed 1,822 kilometres of new roads since 2013.

During the same period, he added, 888 kilometres of roads had been reconstructed. “The Jubilee government has achieved a total of 2,710 kilometres of tarmac road, which includes new roads, and those which were reconstructed,” he said.

He went on: “The roads have boosted the transportation of goods and passengers across the country, thereby uplifting socio-economic activities.”

MAJOR ROADS

Some of the new major roads which have been built are Merille-Marsabit (121km), Marsabit-Turbi (122km) and Moyale-Turbi (131km).

Others are 59km Webuye-Kitale road in Western, 35km Kaloleni-Mavueni in Kilifi, Nyamasaria-Kisumu airport (19km) and Kisumu airport-Kisian (8km).

Mr Mosonik said the ongoing road projects are 4.5km Kisumu Boys-Mambo Leo road, which will cost Sh2.6 billion, 21km Meru East and West bypasses to cost Sh2.45 billion and 115km Garsen-Lamu road to cost Sh10.8 billion.

The PS said the construction of Mbita Causeway was completed last month.

COST SH1.5 BILLION

Among roads which are being constructed through the Roads 10,000 Programme, he added, are 44km Sabaki-Marafa road, which will cost Sh1.5 billion, 110km Malindi-Sala Gate road being built at a cost of Sh4.1 billion, 51km Mariakani-Bamba road to cost Sh2.1 billion and 51km Samburu-Kinango road to cost Sh2 billion.

Mr Mosonik said the rehabilitation of a 53km stretch of the Nairobi-Mombasa highway from Bachuma Gate to Maji ya Chumvi at a cost of Sh4.9 billion is 60 per cent done and will be complete before the end of this year.