The construction of the 27km Nairobi-JKIA Expressway has caused disruption of traffic along Mombasa Road, Uhuru Highway and Waiyaki Way.
A majority of the construction work will be undertaken along the Mombasa Road section of the expressway which is estimated to have a traffic flow of 120,000 cars daily.
The works at the four-lane dual carriageway have caused a slow-down effect on traffic flow into and out of the city.
However, the contractors have employed strategies that will keep the disruption minimal and have the least negative impact.
Workers at the sites, particularly along Mombasa Road and Waiyaki Way have been burning the midnight oil to speed up construction.
The night time gives the contractors a chance to carry out the heavy work with minimal disruption of traffic given the reduced number of cars operating at night.
The construction site has flood lights that helps keep the workers moving and takes advantage of the clear roads during the curfew hours of 11pm to 4am.
Even as working at night minimises traffic disruption, workers are required to be more alert to avoid accidents.
Another strategy to ease traffic flow is restricting day time construction works to the middle part of the road.
However, for sections where any one of the existing lanes has to be closed, KeNHA has engaged traffic police to direct traffic and ensure safety.
The sections which have been closed are at Next Gen Mall along Mombasa Road and between Lions Place and Church Road along Waiyaki Way.
The road is expected to be completed by June 2022 and when launched will reduce traffic congestion permanently.
To expedite its construction, the contractor introduced a technology which reduces the construction period of the elevated section by 50%.
"Works along the elevated section are using the fabricated bridge technology. In this technology, the main components of the upper and lower structure of the bridge are prefabricated and assembled on-site in a factory or a yard," the contractor stated.
The design of the Nairobi Expressway’s elevated section is slowly becoming visible at a site close to Nextgen Mall where the elevation of the road will start.
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