Infrastructure

Chinese Firm Wins Sh9bn Mombasa Road Repair Deal

Project will incorporate a BRT line to ease traffic congestion.

Updated on

May 17, 2022

The road was damaged during the construction of the Nairobi Expressway. Photo/File

A Chinese construction firm has won a Sh9 billion contract to carry out renovation works on the 27km section of Mombasa Road below the Nairobi Expressway.

The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure has contracted China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) to rehabilitate the highway, which was extensively damaged during the construction of the upper deck toll highway.

The Chinese firm recently completed the Nairobi Expressway, which was opened to the public for trials on Saturday ahead of its official opening later this month.

According to Transport Secretary James Macharia, the section from Mlolongo to Westlands will be rehabilitated to ensure that motorists who opt for the lower deck road can enjoy a more improved road.

“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 on Saturday.

Erecting BRT system

The project, which is expected to begin this month, will involve recarpeting the old road, fixing the drainage system, fixing pedestrian walkways, erecting street lights, and creating a bus rapid transit (BRT) system on the road.

Sections of the old road that were damaged by CRBC during the construction of the expressway will be repaired by the contractor at his bill, Mr Macharia said.

The opening of the Sh88 billion Nairobi Expressway, which was financed under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, has marked the return of road tolls in Kenya – decades after they were scrapped in the mid-1990s in favour of the Roads Maintenance Levy to eradicate corruption at toll stations.

The levy is currently at Sh18 per litre of petrol and diesel.

CRBC is expected to operate and charge toll fees on the expressway for 27 years to recoup its investment before handing over the highway to the government.

Motorists will pay Sh120 to Sh1,800 in toll fees, depending on the size of the vehicle and the distance covered, according to the April 22 issue of Kenya Gazette.