CS Murkomen: Repairs on old Mombasa Road to take a year

The rehabilitation of sections of Mombasa Road that were damaged during the construction of the Nairobi Expressway is set to begin this month and will take one year to be completed, the government has said.

Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen noted that motorists had complained for a long time that the lower-deck roads are in bad shape.

The CS, who was speaking on Friday when he appeared before the Parliamentary Committee, said many Kenyans have serious concerns about the status and the quality of the road.

Murkomen said the contractors have already been identified and are expected on site for the refurbishment works which will take a year.

“The truth is that we are about to start the complete refurbishment of that road and in less than a month, the contractors will be on-site and we will restore the road to its required international standards,” he said.

Last month, the Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha) Director-General, Mr Kungu Ndung'u, said the agency is awaiting the finalisation of the contracts before rehabilitation starts.

“There is need to enhance the facility that was existing before the Expressway. Therefore, Kenha is going to implement additional facilities including footbridges while also strengthening the old road. We expect contracts to be in place in about eight weeks,” he said.

Three extra footbridges

He added that they will construct three extra footbridges along the road.

In May last year, then Transport Secretary James Macharia said that the section from Mlolongo to Westlands will be rehabilitated to ensure that motorists who opt for the lower deck road are not negatively affected.

He said the government had contracted China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) to rehabilitate the highway, which was extensively damaged during the construction of the upper deck to the tune of Sh9 billion.

“We are finalising a contract of Sh9 billion to make sure we beautify the old road. It makes sense to have the contractor who was doing the expressway rehabilitate the old road,” Mr Macharia told journalists at the time.

Construction of the 27.4-kilometre highway chipped away some lanes of the lower roads, leaving narrower paths that have occasioned high-traffic gridlock.

The scope of refurbishing the old road involves fixing the drainage system, erecting a bus rapid transport system on the road and fixing pedestrian walkways. The design also provides for erecting a modern lighting system and re-carpeting the old road.

“During construction, the old road was damaged as the contractor had to do piling. But the contractor, upon completion, will restore the old road and leave it better than they found it. Everything is done under one budget,” Mr Macharia said at the time.

Moja Expressway will operate the toll road for 27 years before handing it over to Kenha.

Motorists pay between Sh120 and Sh1,800 to use the 27.1km road depending on the size of their vehicles and the distance they will cover.