It will take five years for Kenya to construct the proposed 473 kilometers of the Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway.
According to the Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA), that will only take place after the government has deliberated on the terms of its construction- from planning, cost and implementation of the whole project.
“The construction of the project will likely take 5 years to complete and work will commence upon completion of studies, designs, negotiation and closure of all financing arrangements,” read the statement.
The agency went on to dismiss recent media reports that said the government had replaced a US contractor; Bechtel Engineering, which had initially secured the tender with a Korean firm, Korean Overseas Infrastructure and Development Corporation (KIND).
KeNHA pointed out that Kenya was yet to award the contract to any of the aforementioned contractors and was still in the renegotiation process.
In July this year, a task force presented a pre-feasibility study report on the findings of the construction of the four-lane Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway.
The study was undertaken by the Korean Overseas Infrastructure & Urban Development Corporation Africa (KIND) in partnership with the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing, Urban Development and Public Works and KeNHA.
Similar to the 27-kilometre Nairobi Expressway, this one will also be a Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) road project.
The feasibility study focused on demand projections, traffic projections, and affordability projections for the project.
It is projected that the Nairobi -Mombasa Expressway will start from Machakos to Mariakani and will transform the current two-lane into a four-lane carriageway.
About Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway Project
The Nairobi- Mombasa Expressway project was initiated in September 2016 as part of Kenya’s Vision 2030.
The groundbreaking was slated to start in 2018 but was pushed to 2019.
It included rehabilitation of the current lanes and construction of additional two lanes alongside the existing highway.
The planned dual carriage was supposed to be divided into three main sections; One was to start at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi and end at Kibwezi in Makueni, stretching 174 kilometres.
Another section was to run between Kibwezi and Voi which is 132 kilometres and the third section was between Voi and Mombasa covering the last 160 kilometres.
It was to be further subdivided into ten sections including Mombasa-Mariakani, Mariakani-Maji ya Chumvi, Maji ya Chumvi-Bachuma Gate, Bachuma Gate-Mtito Andei, Mtito Andei-Sultan Hamud, Sultan Hamud-Machakos, Machakos-Athi River, and Athi River-JKIA.
Motorists were set to drive at speeds of up to 120km/h.
Once the project starts, over 2,573 jobs will be created annually during its operations and maintenance.