Kenya Power has announced intermittent power interruptions for estates located along the Expressway corridor, as the company commenced the relocation of power lines between Mlolongo, Mombasa Road and James Gichuru Road
The transfer of cables is aligned with the construction of the Nairobi Expressway, which starts at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and ends at Waiyaki Way.
Kenya Power, in a press release dated Thursday, September 24, stated that the exercise will cost Ksh1.08 billion. The Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA) will finance the expenditure.
It assured the residents that it is keen on completing this exercise with minimal interruptions to power supply.
"The Company is planning to minimise power interruptions by leveraging the Live Line Maintenance technology which will relocate most of the lines without switching off supply.
"We aim to keep the lights on even as we carry out this critical exercise. Where it will be inevitable to switch off supply, we ar scheduling interruptions and communicating the plan to customers,” Kenya Power Managing Director & CEO, Bernard Ngugi stated.
The scope of work will involve the relocation of a combined 106 kilometres of high voltage (66kV), medium voltage (11kV), and low voltage cables as well as 28 transformers serving the area.
The exercise begun in September 2020, and will be completed at the end of November 2020.
As at Thursday, September 24, Kenya Power had covered 17 kilometres of the Expressway. Once completed, 40.6 kilometres of the power network will pass underground.
The Nairobi Expressway project is valued at Ksh62 billion is one of the main projects under Kenyatta's Big 4 Agenda.
Over 25,000 motorists using the road per day will part with a Ksh 300 toll fee on each day.
The road will be elevated from NextGen Mall and will have 10 interchanges at the SGR interchange, the JKIA interchange, Eastern bypass, Capital Center, Haile Selassie, Thika Road interchange, Westland's interchange and James Gichuru Road.
Payments will be done at exit points of the major roads where both manual and electronic toll stations will be erected.
