Outer Ring Road set to transform Nairobi’s Eastlands

Politics and policy

President Uhuru Kenyatta unveils the plaque during the commissioning of the Outer Ring Road expansion project in Nairobi on January 22, 2014. Looking on are Africa Development Bank regional director Gabriel Negatu, Nairobi governor Evans Kidero and senator Mike Mbuvi Sonko. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU  

By KIARIE NJOROGE

In Summary

• The Sh14 billion Outer Ring Road project, financed by the African Development Bank and the government, will be ready by September 2017 bringing to an end the traffic nightmare in Nairobi’s most populated suburbs.
• The project was set to commence in April last year, but has been delayed as Kenya Urban Roads Authority delayed in naming the contractor as well as the supervisor.
• The 13km road stretches from the Ruaraka/Thika Road Junction to Taj Mall in Embakasi.

The unveiling of the largest single roads project in Nairobi’s Eastlands is likely to transform the densely populated area, bring down the cost of transport and attract new investors.

The county’s largest fresh produce market to resettle displaced traders will also be built in the area currently bedevilled by bad roads and congestion.

The Sh14 billion Outer Ring Road project, financed by the African Development Bank and the government, will be ready by September 2017 bringing to an end the traffic nightmare in Nairobi’s most populated suburbs.

“This project is among many that we have in Nairobi to decongest the city and bring down the cost of living and transport,” said President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday, adding: “One of the major problems holding back Nairobi’s growth is congestion; traffic jams that raise the cost of goods and transport charges because of hours spent on roads.”

Expansion of Outer Ring Road was set to commence in April last year, but has been delayed as Kenya Urban Roads Authority delayed in naming the contractor as well as the supervisor.

The road’s expansion is the latest of multiple road projects in the city which has included Thika Superhighway, three bypasses, Western Ring Roads and the expansion of five roads in Eastlands funded by the European Union.

During the construction period, service lanes will receive first priority to ease the expected traffic congestion before the contractor moves on to construct the inner lanes.

The service lanes are expected to be completed sooner than the three years it will take to fully expand the road to eight lanes.

“As part of the development of Outer Ring Road, AfDB did give us $11 million (Sh1 billion) to build our market. This will be our biggest market and those displaced from Tena and Kariobangi markets by this project will get first priority,” said Evans Kidero, the Nairobi governor.

The project is being undertaken by Chinese company Sinohydro Corporation and will see the road expanded with multiple interchanges to cure the characteristic traffic congestion experienced currently.

The road passes through densely populated residential and industrial areas in Eastlands in what President Kenyatta noted contributed to high fares and cost of goods.

President Kenyatta added that most of the roads projects target Eastlands to correct the historical under-investment in roads in the area.

The 13km road stretches from the Ruaraka/Thika Road Junction to Taj Mall in Embakasi. The project involves construction of two lanes in each direction, service roads, 10 footbridges, non-motorised transport facilities and six interchanges.

READ: Dual carriage of five Nairobi roads to ease traffic jam in Sh6bn project

The design also makes provision for a nine-metre raised central median that will be later developed to a bus rapid transit (BRT) corridor. Other features include walkways and cycle tracks over the entire length of the road, planting of 4,500 trees, and a children’s traffic safety park.