This archive report was first published on 16 October 2019.
After nearly a decade of delays, the Sh65 billion JKIA-Westlands expressway project is finally taking shape. The project, which was initially set to commence in August, has been pushed to October, and construction is expected to begin soon.
The 18.586-kilometre road will start at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and terminate at James Gichuru, along Waiyaki Way, in Westlands. The mega project will be undertaken by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis.
Unlike other ongoing projects, where the government has secured loans to fund construction, the PPP framework agreement will see CRBC invest its own money and later recoup its investment from toll fees paid by motorists using the road.
Motorists will have the option of using the expressway to escape heavy traffic jams at a fee or toll charges to help the private firm building the road recover its investments. However, those using the lower section of the double-decker highway will be spared the toll charges.
The bus rapid transit (BRT) system is one of the special features of the planned highway, which will involve construction of a dedicated lane for large-capacity buses to ease congestion.
The project has been delayed for nearly a decade, with the first construction attempt collapsing when the World Bank questioned its suitability and cut financing. The proposed elevated dual carriageway is to be built in three phases, with the first 6.5 kilometres running from JKIA to Likoni Road and the Southern Bypass interchange.
