A map of the Outer Ring Road in Nairobi’s eastlands. Photo/GOOGLE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 17 – Traffic snarl-ups in Nairobi’s Eastlands area are soon to be a thing of the past after the African Development Bank (AfDB) approved Sh10.37 billion for the construction of the Outering Highway.
The works on the highway shall involve the dualling and improvement to bitumen standards of the existing road from Thika Road Super Highway at the General Service Unit Headquarters to the junction of Eastern Bypass at Taj Shopping Mall.
The total length of the project is expected to be approximately 13 Km and will comprise of a Dual Carriageway with two lanes in each direction, Service Roads and non -Motorized Traffic facilities.
The construction of the road is expected to take a period of three years.
The new dual carriageway will also have dedicated bus lanes, a seven-metre wide service road on each side, footpaths and a cycle lane with drains on both sides.
There will be ten pedestrian footbridges and four passenger transfer stations complete with street lighting and landscaping.
A bus lane that can accommodate rapid transit vehicles will be constructed complete with bus stops.
Access roads into Tena, Donholm, Southlands, Jacaranda, Kayole and Umoja estates will have a six-lane underpass while the Jogoo Road roundabout will be replaced with a full four-leaf clover interchange.
After the construction, trucks going into Industrial Area will use an underpass on Lunga Lunga Road.
Bridges across the Mathare, Nairobi and Ngong rivers and two railway bridges, one just before the Kangundo Road junction exit and another near the Taj Mall will be constructed.
The upgrading also entails construction of new grade separated junctions with an underpass at the Juja Road junction and two flyovers at the Kangundo Road junction and Mumias Road junction.
When complete, the road will further improve access to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) through Airport North Road to the Thika superhighway.
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