Residents of Oloosirkon, Ongata Rongai have filed a petition to stop the SGR contractor, China Communications Construction Company from altering the Ongata Rongai-Kitengela Road.
According to the petition, the Oloosirkon Residents Association accused the Chinese company of making major alterations on the original design of the road which is part of the Greater Southern Bypass, spelling disaster for motorists in the area.
Part of the alterations opposed includes the reducing the original width of the road from the original 25 metres to a mere 10 metres.
“We demand to know why a major public road has been diverted into private land at a great cost to the public while adequate land for its expansion and development had been reserved by the government,” read part of the petition.
They also questioned the construction of a 12-metre high concrete tunnel across the road, instead of an overhead bridge as initially stipulated.
“Vehicles entering the tunnel from either direction are not visible to the driver until one is inside the tunnel. The sharp angle turn does not allow for gradual safe manoeuvring by large vehicles such as lorries and buses into the tunnel,” the letter claimed.
The residents also highlighted the creation of a sharp right-turn diversion created 10 metres from the tunnel, posing a great hazard to local motorists.
“The road emerges from the tunnel into another sharp right angle turn to the left — 10 metres from the tunnel. The hazard posed by these reckless design provisions is unimaginable,” the letter says.
The residents demanded that the Chinese contractors be stopped until their concerns were addressed.
The petition, if put into consideration could further delay the completion of the second phase of the SGR.
