Thika Road Is a Highly Commendable Project

The expansion of Thika Road from four lanes to eight lanes highway is a highly commendable project that will spur economic growth in the country.

The new super highway will bring to an end the dreaded traffic jam on this busy road.

This is extremely important because economic development is often delayed by inadequate infrastructure.

Poor roads, for example, lead to delays in the delivery of important commodities – subsequently resulting in huge financial losses.

In addition to delays in delivery, traffic jams also lead to many missed appointments and a huge waste of fuel. Some people have lost business opportunities worth millions of shillings for not catching up with appointments thanks to traffic congestion.

When it becomes fully ready in March 2012, the Sh27 billion super highway will help link Kenya to Ethiopia, a major regional economy with close to 85 million people. This will increase business between the two countries and help expand the Kenyan economy.

The highway will also save travelling time not just for commuters from Thika but further in Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Embu, Garissa, and other parts of vast northern Kenya.

The reductions in travel time will give Nairobi workers alternative accommodation away from the city. It will be common to find people commuting to the city daily from as far as Thika or Murang’a. This will spur real estate growth in these areas and beyond.

Update Note: April 14, 2012 – The completion of Thika Superhighway has been pushed to September, nine months past the initial deadline of December 2011.

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