Restore Mombasa Road

The state plans to commence dry tests on the newly- built multi-billion shilling Nairobi Expressway this Saturday. This is good news for many Nairobians long frustrated by unending traffic gridlocks across the city. For those who can afford the charges to use this special road, it will certainly be a major relief because it would save them lots of fuel and hours in traffic.

That the mega project has been completed within an impressive timeline is also refreshing for taxpayers who have, in the past, had to shoulder the burden of inflated costs due to delays by rogue contractors tasked with the construction of key infrastructure projects across the country.

But even with these accolades, the Nairobi Expressway project has certain glaring flaws that the government must ensure are fixed before officially commissioning its use.

First, contractors on the road should address the noticeable lapses in the provision of proper drainage channels. It seems contractors didn’t factor how to handle the huge volumes of runoff water from the road and have resorted to makeshift drain systems that will only pose a risk and inconvenience to commuters and motorists using the road below.

The authorities should also focus on restoring the road below, which was extensively damaged by contractors working on the Expressway. For example, the road below the overpass thoroughfare was dug up to allow for the relocation of fibre optic cables, water and sewer lines, and to fix drainage systems. The contractors also created diversions on the road below to allow their teams to work on the Expressway.

Most of the damage on the old road lanes has not been fixed and the government must ensure repairs are done expeditiously so that motorists are spared the current inconveniences and avoidable damage to their vehicles.