A section of the Narok - Mai Mahiu Road on Monday morning collapsed at the same spot that was repaired five days earlier.
Photos that were taken soon after the incident showed a sunken gully across the road that rendered the highway impassable.
"Heavy commercial vehicles are currently not able to cross the section.
"Motorists are requested to bear with the situation, which is expected to necessitate traffic interruption as the Authority undertakes this exercise within the shortest time possible," Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) assistant communication director Charles Njogu explained.
[caption caption="Narok - Mai Mahiu Road collapsed on March 19, 2018"]
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The authorities blamed the incident on flood waters that are said to have further destabilised the earth at the volcanic fault.
The Highway Authority later announced that the repair works had been successful and the road restored back to operation.
"Following our earlier update on the Mai Mahiu – Suswa Road, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has managed to backfill the section of the road and the traffic flow to and from Narok has been restored.
"A contractor and a team of engineers have permanently been assigned to the site to monitor any developments that may occur as a result of the isostatic adjustment of the volcanic area, which is attributed to the fault line that has developed," the KeNHA statement read in part.
On March 14, Infrastructure Principal Secretary Julius Korir expressed concerns over the recurrent rifts on the road, especially during rainy seasons.
He observed that the government may be forced to redesign the road to avoid the costly disruptions that have become custom on the highway.
[caption caption="Section of Narok- Mai Mahiu Road collapsed on March 19, 2018"]
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UPDATE:
10:15 a.m: This story was updated to include KeNHA's statement that the road was back in operation.
