Lari and Limuru residents want the Kenya National Highway Authority to redesign sections of the planned Nairobi-Nakuru dual highway.
They fear that the current design might cut off their businesses in parts of Limuru as the highway does not have clear entries to the major shopping centres.
Construction of the expanded road from Kamandura to Mau Summit will start early next year.
Led by Kijabe MCA Nyutu Wamwere, on Tuesday residents raised concerns about the junctions on major towns such as Nyambare, Kimende and Soko Mjinga.
Wamwere said those busy centres are joined by major tarmac roads under construction.
“We have seen the design and there is no clear entry to our trading centres,” the MCA said.
He said Moi Road will join the highway at Kimende, while the Uplands Ruiru road will join the highway at Nyambare where a big market expected to be built at Soko Mijinga will require an entry point.
Paul Ngugi, a trader, said customers will not be able to stop and trade.
“If the road is complete the way it is, activities in those towns may suffer for lack of customers, something that may lead to investors and traders moving out to other areas,” Ngugi said.
Kinale MCA Dominic Kiranga asked Kenha to construct better entries at Soko Mjinga to allow people, including motorists, to continue stopping by to buy food.
They spoke during public participation in Kimende town in Lari over the Nairobi-Nakuru Mau-Summit project.
The government wants to dual the highway from Kamandura to Mau-Summit to extend the dual carriageway from Nairobi at Sh160 billion, funded by France.
Kenha engineer Lucy Wainaina said the designers will visit the areas again and check where changes can be done before works start next year.
She said Kenha will come up with a design that suits the proposals of the residents.
Assistant county commissioner Geraldine Barasa urged youths who will get jobs when the works start to conduct themselves well to benefit.
Senior social engineer Ken Kamau said they will have public participation in all constituencies to listen to residents' views.
Lucy Wanjiru had asked how they will be compensated since her fence has been earmarked as part of the highway in the Magina area. But Kenha declined to discuss the compensation of landowners affected by the project.
Wainaina responded that the affected landowners had their details collected and the issue was with the National Lands Commission.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris