Heavy traffic! Several motorists stuck on Mombasa Road

Hundreds of motorists and passengers are currently stuck in a heavy traffic snarl along the busy Nairobi-Mombasa Highway.

Athi River East subcounty police commander Anderson Mbae said the snarl stretching several kilometres from Mlolongo town was caused by the ongoing construction of a section of the road in Athi River, Machakos County, on Monday.

“There is tarmacking of the road at Crystal Mall area going down towards Devki area in Athi River, I also experienced the traffic at around 7.30 pm,” Mbae told the Star by phone on Monday.

“I guess it’s the cause of this snarl,” Mbae added.

The situation has also affected motorists plying the Nairobi-Namanga road through the interchange at Shalom Community Hospital, Athi River turn–off.

Some motorists told the Star that they had been stuck in the traffic for close to three and a half now.

“We are told that the Kenya National Highways Authority closed a section of the Nairobi – Mombasa highway at Stage 39 Bridge, just next to the Crystal Mall, at around 4.30 pm today due to the ongoing road construction works at the section,” a motorist told the Star.

Several passengers opted to trek to their homes after alighting from public service vehicles from Nairobi city to Kitengela and Athi River towns, while others used bodaboda operators to end their journeys.

The situation was worsened as some motorists attempted to overlap, thereby obstructing the road.

The traffic snarl was yet to ease by press time as traffic officers from Athi River police station controlled traffic on both Nairobi-Mombasa and Nairobi-Namanga highways within Athi River Township in Machakos County.