KeNHA to shut section of Mombasa Road for five days

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has announced a five-day traffic disruption on a section of Mombasa Road next week.

In a notice, the authority said the disruption would affect the section of the road near the Shell Petrol Station, adjacent to Hilton Garden Inn.

According to KeNHA, the closure is necessary for the construction of a mid-span footbridge foundation situated in the median between the service lane and the Mombasa-bound lanes.

It indicated that the disruption will be in effect until Sunday, August 11, 2024.

“The traffic disruption will be along the Mombasa bound lanes from Wednesday, August 7, 2024, to Sunday, August 11, 2024,” the Authority said.

Motorists have been urged to adhere to the proposed traffic management plan and to cooperate with police officers and traffic marshals stationed on site.

In its five-year strategic plan, the authority announced that it plans to spend Sh394 on construction, repair and enhancement of major highways. This is amid a tight fiscal space that has seen the Treasury slash the overall budget for roads in recent allocations.

The authority noted that Sh192.5 billion will be used for the enhancement of major roads, including the dualling of the Rironi-Nakuru-Mau Summit.

The construction of new roads, including those already started, will cost Sh117 billion.

KeNHA will also use Sh84.5 billion to rehabilitate roads in bad conditions, bringing the total spend on road projects to Sh394 billion.

The 473-kilometre Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway, which the National Treasury announced has received first-stage approval for construction, has a budget of Sh25 billion. The toll road will also be built through a public-private partnership.

The government has emphasised road construction due to the country's high risk of debt distress, opting instead to partner with the private sector to complete some of the roads.

“During the plan period, the authority targets to construct 2,349 km of roads, this comprises 1,183 km new road construction, capacity enhancement of 674 km and rehabilitation of 492 km,” KeNHA said in its draft 2023-2027 Strategic Plan.