NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 25 — The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has started backfiling the washout section of Kilifi’s Mbogolo Bridge following a traffic disruption on Saturday.
The agency said in a statement on Saturday it expected to restore traffic on the Mtwapa-Kilifi road affected by the damage within 24 hours.
KeNHA stated that the water levels at the Mbogolo Bridge had slightly decreased.
“The Kenya National Highways Authority hereby notifies the public that water levels have slightly subsided at the Mbogolo Bridge,” the agency announced.
The announcement was a follow up to an earlier update that saw traffic to and from Mombasa diverted to the Mavueni route.
Footage shared by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) showed a broken section of the bridge rendering the A7 corridor linking the two towns of Kilifi and Mtwapa inaccessible.
“Motorists are advised to use an alternative route of Mombasa-Mazeras-Kaloleni -Mavueni-Kilifi Road. Currently,” they agency stated on Saturday.
The agency added that a new bridge is currently under construction in the affected area as part of the broader Kwa Kadzengo-Kilifi Road Project.
KeNHA further said it had deployed its engineers on site to work on restoration of traffic passage through the affected section of the road.
The agency assured the public that every effort is being made to expedite the process and restore normal traffic flow as soon as possible.
Damaged roads
The closure of the Mtwapa – Kilifi section of the A7 road comes three days after the Thika-Garissa route (A3) was closed after a portion of the road was damaged by floods.
KeNHA stated that the right-hand side of the road at Arer area, 41Km from Bangali town, had been washed away by floods which overwhelmed adjacent box culverts following heavy rains.
“The Kenya National Highways Authority notifies the public that traffic flow along the Thika – Garissa Road (A3) has been affected by floods,” KeNHA said in a statement published online.
“The right-hand side of the Road has been washed away following the ongoing flooding,” the agency said.
The authority also warned of traffic disruption along the Thika–Garissa highway as a result, urging motorists to exercise patience and to allow water levels to subside before proceeding with their journeys.
On November 17, KeNHA also issued a traffic alert after a section of the Mtwapa – Kilifi road was submerged at Kwa Kadzengo area.
KeNHA however assured that the road, currently under construction, will be 1.5 metres higher than the existing one, with twin Culverts to be installed to balance water levels on both sides of the road.
