The Ministry of Transport has confirmed that the completion of the Gitaru Interchange, which connects the Western and Southern bypasses as well as the Nairobi-Naivasha Road, will be completed and opened in the next two months.
Speaking during an inspection tour of the interchange on Tuesday, August 12, Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir affirmed that the completion of this interchange will eliminate the persistent congestion along one of the busiest junctions along the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway.
The project, which is being undertaken by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), will be fundamental in also opening up the transport corridor that also connects the country with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda, according to the CS.
"Gitaru interchange is a major section which has been a real challenge because the Southern and Western Bypass both meet here, yet it is not a proper connector. We want to finish the construction of the road in the next two months to clean up the traffic snarl in this section," Chirchir said.
"Being the great North Road servicing Uganda, Rwanda, and the DRC, the amount of traffic we see at these connecting Junctions is causing unnecessary pain to the motorists," he added.
In addition to streamlining transport flow along the route, the CS is optimistic that the improvement of the interchange will also be of benefit to the business ecosystem surrounding the area.
The announcement comes two days after President William Ruto announced that the government is in the process of constructing the 87-kilometre Kamandùra-Maaì Mahiù-Naivasha Road to enhance connectivity from Limuru in Kiambu county.
Speaking on Sunday, August 10, the Head of State confirmed that the road, whose construction is set to begin this October, will run from Limuru to Naivasha and eventually to Nakuru, with plans to extend it to Malaba.
According to Ruto, the project is part of the 140-kilometre Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit dual carriageway, which is also expected to ease traffic congestion along one of the country's busiest transport corridors.
“In October, I will be here to begin the construction of this road from here to Naivasha and finally to Nakuru, from where we will extend it to Malaba,” the president said.
On his part, CS Chirchir confirmed that the government will introduce a toll system to the Mau Summit dual carriageway once completed, to generate income that will cater for its maintenance.
"We will be subjecting tolls to new roads like the Rironi Mau summit and other roads that are under construction in a way that we can maintain roads that are environmentally friendly, to ensure that the drivers get to their destinations faster," the CS said.
