Phase 3 of Ngong Road Dualling Project to End in May

The third phase of the Ngong Road dualling project will be delivered in three months, boosting the government’s effort to tackle traffic jams in Nairobi, according to the State agency overseeing the venture.

The Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura) said it expects the contractor, China Qingjian International Group to complete construction works in May – opening to motorists the 9.8km stretch from Dagoretti Corner to Karen Shopping Centre.

“The dualling of Ngong Road phase 3 from Dagoretti Corner Junction to Karen roundabout section is on course with a progress of 83 per cent with its completion due in the next four months,” Kura said in a statement last week.

The project was initially scheduled for completion in 2019 but that failed to happen after the contractor encountered challenges in moving water and power lines as well as dealing with furniture traders who had invaded the road.

The three-phase Ngong Road project, which was commissioned in August 2016, is partially funded through a grant by Japan under its Economic Co-operation Programme Project.

World Kaihatsu Kogyo Company Ltd., a Japanese firm, undertook work on the project – spanning 2.5km between the Kenya National Library and Prestige Plaza. The segment was completed in December 2017 for Sh1.3 billion.

The second phase of the Ngong Road expansion project, also financed by Japan, runs from Prestige Plaza to Dagoretti Corner – a distance of 4km. The project was completed in April 2019 by the same Japanese contractor for Sh2 billion.

Heaps of praise

World Kaihatsu Kogyo received heaps of praise from Nairobi residents, who were particularly impressed by its quality of work and the meticulous execution of the project.

In July 2017, the Kenyan government awarded a Sh2 billion tender for phase three of the project to China Qingjian International Group. The project which is fully funded by Kenya involves the expansion of the 9.8km road from Dagoretti Corner to Karen shopping centre.

It covers three sections: Dagoretti Corner-Karen Roundabout (6.2km), Karen Road (1.9km) and a 1.7km segment of Langata Road from the Karen shopping centre.

The motorway design entails five footbridges and five lanes, with walkways and cycle tracks on both sides. Kura had earlier said the dualling of Ngong Road would provide a median to be developed later for Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) or light railway.

“It will also include the installation of street lights, intelligent traffic signals and walkways for pedestrians,” the agency said in a past press statement.

A BRT is a transit system designed to allow buses to run for a significant part of their trip within a fully dedicated “right of way” to avoid traffic jams. The system is found in big cities around the world, especially in Europe.

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