Nairobi residents plying the Ngong Road route expressed relief after the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) announced the redesigning of a section of the road.
"Works to improve entry into Lenana School from Ngong Road is ongoing. The slip road will ensure motorist access Lenana School with ease,
" The works will ensure a smooth joining from Ngong Road into the road leading to Lenana School," reads an excerpt from the KURA statement.
Hundreds of residents attested to the difficulties that existed in trying to navigate that particular area as no slipway existed prior to the recent remodeling.
"The whole section from Kenya Meteorological departmentt to Lenana School is one of the poorest designed roads in Kenya. The curbs appear into the road from nowhere, it is too dark at night and not marked. Too many accidents there," a Kenyan opined.
Ngong Road has been undergoing major reconstruction over the last few years.
The expansion of one of Nairobi's busiest road into a dual carriageway is almost complete. The 9.8km road which starts from Dagoretti Corner to Karen Shopping Centre has been under construction since July 2017.
The project was initially scheduled for completion in 2019 but that failed to happen after the contractor encountered challenges in moving water and power lines as well as dealing with furniture traders who had invaded the road.
The second phase of the Ngong Road expansion project, also financed by Japan, runs from Prestige Plaza to Dagoretti Corner – a distance of 4km. The project was completed in April 2019 by the same Japanese contractor at a cost of Ksh2 billion.
The motorway design entails five footbridges and five lanes, with walkways and cycle tracks on both sides.
KURA had earlier said the dualling of Ngong Road would provide a median to be developed later for Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) or light railway.
The newly upgraded Ngong Road also includes an interchange at the Prestige plaza area to create a seamless connection with the Kibera link road traversing the slum to Lang’ata road.
At least 30,000 Kibera residents, including schools and children homes, were affected to pave the way for the link road.
