NAIROBI, Kenya, May, 15 – It is now just a matter of weeks before president Uhuru Kenyatta officially commissions the 27-kilometer Nairobi Expressway which according to the government has been constructed in a record time ahead of its projected completion schedule.
On Saturday Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia officially gave motorists the green light to use the expressway on a ‘test run’ basis before it is officially commissioned by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
“This is not the official launch, it’s not the official commissioning, that will be done by his excellency the president in a few weeks time. I drove myself from James Gichuru road all the way to where I am, the JKIA turn off, it took me eight minutes only. Previously I have driven from JKIA to Westlands and it took me about two hours,” said the CS.
The road infrastructure project which is completely funded by a private investment entity is said to have cost USD 600 million or Sh70 billion according to Macharia. The road project is financed by the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), the parent firm of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), in a public-private partnership (PPP).
“It is one of the best pieces of infrastructure ever done in Africa and so we are very proud to come and witness the start of the trial run which will be done for about three or four weeks and thereafter we shall have a complete operation,”
The 27-kilometer elevated highway will extend from Mlolongo to James Gichuru Road in Westlands.
Nairobi Expressway Toll Rates And Routes
According to Macharia, 11,000 motorists have been registered so far to use the Nairobi Expressway, with the number expected rot rise by 50,000 in the coming weeks.
With 27 toll booths, the dual carriageway is said to have 11 interchanges, including at the Standard Gauge Railway terminus, at JKIA, the Eastern Bypass, the Southern Bypass, and Enterprise Road.
Through a gazette notice, the ministry of transport revealed that motorists with saloon cars will pay Sh50 more to use the expressway from Mlolongo to Westlands. Toll charges were raised from Sh310 to Sh360.
Also, according to Section 4B (3) of the Public Roads Toll Act, the cost of using the road from the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) station in Mlolongo and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to Westlands has been increased to Sh300 from Sh260, while those traveling from Capital Centre to the same destination will pay Sh180, up from Sh160.
“We would like to encourage people to use the electronic card because we have three modes of payment: we have the cash, manual toll collection (MTC) electronic toll collection (ETC) where they put the onboard unit on your vehicle and so when you come to the gate it opens automatically. We want to encourage people to use the electronic to avoid the traffic jams at the barriers and so far the 11,000, these are people who have the MTC or ETC, 7,000 are registered under ETC,” said Macharia.
The prices could be adjusted in line with changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and foreign exchange rates on and after the expressway opens to the public.
The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) said that two-wheeled and three-wheeled vehicles are prohibited from using the expressway while further stating that ambulances, Police vehicles, military personnel, and fire trucks are exempted from paying toll charges.
Toll rates for two-axle vehicles with a high bonnet like the minibus will be 1.5 times higher than the rates of saloon vehicles. Heavy vehicles with fewer than four axles will cost four times above the rates of saloon vehicles.
China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) will operate the road for 27 years and is expected to earn an estimated Sh106.8 billion profit during that period as part of the deal struck by the Kenyan government as it seeks to make good on its investment.
At least 35 police officers will be deployed along the expressway to ensure smooth operations.
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