The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has announced a partial road closure on a section of the Thika–Garissa (A3) Road for three months.
In a notice on Monday, July 21, the roads authority revealed the scheduled traffic disruption was due to maintenance works on the Kavenge (Mbakini) Bridge, near Mbakini Centre.
The affected section of road is set to undergo rehabilitation work on the bridge girders and deck from Saturday, July 26, 2025. The works are expected to continue until Saturday November 8, 2025.
Motorists using the highway have been advised to expect slower traffic and possible diversions during the three-month maintenance work. KeNHA is developing a traffic management plan to ease congestion.
Police officers and traffic marshals are also set to be deployed on the stretch during the works to guide road users.
"KeNHA advises motorists to follow the proposed traffic management plan below and cooperate with the police and traffic marshals on site," the notice read in part.
Bridge girders, despite being invisible to normal road users, are important structural components in any bridge, with engineers often referring to them as the backbone of the entire system.
Girders are essentially horizontal beams which run beneath the surface of the bridge deck and are responsible for supporting the load of the deck itself, along with the weight of vehicles.
Installation of bridge girders depends on the materials being used and the bridge size. Since the girders being used along the Thika-Garissa road are likely made of steel, the installation process typically takes an upward of six weeks.
Taking into account the removal of old structural components, making precision repairs and installing new girders, the entire process needs at least three months to allow for the safe completion of the project.
As recently as on June 28, KeNHA announced a similar lengthy traffic disruption at the Gitaru Interchange, which connects Waiyaki Way with the Southern and Western Bypasses. At the time, KeNHA said the disruption was due to the closure of the Southwestern Loop to Southern Bypass at the intersection of Waiyaki Way and Western Bypass.
In April, the authority also announced the closure of a section of Mombasa Road and the Nairobi Expressway near Katani Road between Saturday, April 19, and Sunday, July 20 to allow for road works.
