Traffic gridlocks in Kenya’s capital Nairobi are expected to reduce significantly with the planned construction of the first double decker road.

The KenyaNational Highways Authority Director General Meshack Kidenda said the government will soon float tenders seeking for a contractor for the $286-million project.

The elevated highway that will run above the existing Mombasa Road-Uhuru Highway and Waiyaki Way covering a distance of 4 kms is part of the National Urban Improvement Project that contains several components and which is aimed to address the transport crisis in East Africa’s busiest capital.

“We have finalized the design of the road that is expected to ease traffic congestion and soon we will tender for a contractor,” he said.He added construction of the road, which is being financed by the World Bank and theKenya government, is anticipated to commence in January next year and finished in 2017. The government will contribute $113 million in the project.

The double decker road that is expected to end what has become a nightmare section for motorists in Nairobi owing to congestion will run from Nyayo National Stadium — connecting Mombasa Road to Westlands roundabout.

Other components in the project include providing additional lanes, dual-ling of an existing road, construction of new access roads and rehabilitation of existing roads to help ease congestion and facilitating faster movement of traffic from the suburbs to the city.
Nairobi is one of the most populated cities in the world with a population of 4-million in an area of 696 square km. The government estimates the city’s population to be 6,5-million by 2030.

The National Urban Improvement Project forms part of the $4,4-billion transport master plan to get Nairobi out of the current chaos and connect it with the satellite towns using a state-of-the-art mass transport system.

The plan that is being executed under the Vision 2030 development blueprint involves construction of a 167 km public roads and rail transport linking Nairobi with neighbouring towns, something that should help decongest the city.