The Outer Ring superhighway in Kenya is nearing completion, with a scheduled finish date of December this year. Residents of the Eastlands area, including Umoja, Komarock, Kayole, and Donholm, have already had the opportunity to drive on parts of the road that have been opened to facilitate further construction.
The 13km stretch of road is being built by China Wu Yi Company, the same company responsible for constructing parts of the Thika Superhighway. The Sh8.4 billion project aims to provide easy access to Thika Road from Mombasa Road and vice versa.
Commissioned by President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2015, the new superhighway is expected to alleviate traffic congestion on Jogoo Road and transform the Eastlands area. It will serve thousands of residents from various estates, including Baba Dogo, Huruma, Kariobangi North and South, Lumumba, Umoja, Innercore, Tena, and Dandora.
The road features eight lanes, a median lane for the proposed Nairobi Rapid Transit System, four passenger transfer stations, 10 footbridges, six underpasses, and two interchanges. Despite encountering some obstacles, the project has made significant progress since its commencement in late 2016.
Some businesses operating along the road have lost their front parking spaces, with banks and a supermarket being among the worst affected. Hawkers and temporary structures have been relocated to make way for the eight-lane highway.
Residents are eagerly awaiting the completion of the construction, hoping that it will reduce travel time on one of Nairobi's busiest roads from hours to less than 10 minutes during peak times.
The recovered account cited reporting by Nairobi News.
