Expressway Commissioned at last

By John KariukiA

President Uhuru Kenyatta has officially opened the 27 KM Nairobi Expressway following the completion of the trial period for motorists.

During its commissioning on Sunday, Uhuru expressed gratitude to all the stakeholders who ensured that the project is completed within its stipulated time.

“This project began in October 2019, I did direct that an accelerated construction programme be implemented within a target completion date of June 2022. I am pleased to note that the major construction works that were originally envisioned to take 36 months were completed within a period of 18 months,” said President Uhuru.

“I want to thank all Kenyans, particularly the residents of Nairobi who have had to cope with the inconvenience and the disruption that came with the road construction,” he added.

On Sunday, President Uhuru also commissioned the revamped Nairobi Eastern Bypass road.

The 27.8 KM road was expanded from a single 2-lane road to a dual 4-lane carriageway at a cost of Ksh12.5 billion.

The Eastern Bypass connects Mombasa Road to Thika Super Highway at Kamakis, traversing through Embakasi, Utawala, Ruai and Ruiru towns.

Before its official launch, the Nairobi Expressway had been opened for public use in May, but was closed on July 30.

“The trial period for the Nairobi Expressway, which commenced on May 14, 2022, has come to an end. The road will now be closed from 9pm this Saturday, July 30, 2022 until it is officially commissioned,” Moja Expressway said in a statement before the brief closure.