Motorists have lauded the ongoing expansion of Ngong Road, a key transportation artery in Nairobi describing it as a world-class project.
During random media interviews, motorists and other road users said that the construction of the 800 meter long elevated dual road and the expansion of the Junction Mall goes a long way in eliminating persistent traffic jams.
Noting that elevated roads stir a world-class feeling, the motorists expressed excitement and eagerness to use the new road which is now 90 percent complete.
For many years, Ngong Road has been notorious for heavy traffic that has seen motorists and other road users spending hours on the road leading to loss of man hours.
Mr Clint Kamonde, a Bolt rider, narrated how Ngong Road metamorphosed into a nightmare for motorists due to growing population and delayed expansions.
However, he heaped praise on President Ruto for reviving key road projects in Nairobi and other parts of the country through fuel levy securitization which unlocked 580 road projects that had stalled.
A TRUE GAMECHANGER
“I live in Dagoretti. I was raised here so I know this place very well and to say the truth, this is a total transformation,” he said, adding: “Those who used to live around here and left for the countryside, will get lost if they came back today,” said Kamonde.
He said that he was particularly impressed with the fast pace on which the road project had been executed, saying: “The construction has been fast and I am impressed, this is a very good initiative, Ngong Road has completely changed” he observed.
He said that Ngong Road had become synonymous with traffic jams especially in the morning and evenings but this, he noted, would soon be a thing of the past.
“Some drivers were forced to divert through Riara Road which is a school road, so there would be a lot of congestion and confusion,” he affirmed. He urged the government to initiate more similar projects across the country to spur growth.
He said: “Projects like these help the youth in job creation. And, if you look around,
many of the young people working here are from this area.”
Sharon Achieng’ said that the expansion of Ngong Road will open up the South-Western part of Nairobi for investors and tourists. “In fact business will grow here because people will be coming to invest and even tourists will come,” she said.
THE PROJECT PROGRESS
At the same time, Mr Pablo Acosta, the Project Director, announced that the project will be ready for handover by June 2026 noting that major construction works have been completed.
The centrepiece of the project is a 450-metre viaduct, a dual carriageway with two lanes in each direction including the inbound and outbound approaches while the bridge is approximately 820 meters long.
Acosta said major construction works are now being done at night in order to avoid traffic interruptions during the day. However, construction continues on a small scale during the day to ensure that the project is completed on time.
“We have around 90 percent of progress right now, the only remaining part to be finished is the deck of the bridge, the concrete deck, as well as the ramp to embankment and roadworks,” said Acosta.
The official said they are also going to build pedestrian lanes, bicycle tracks, beautification and nonmotorized tracks as well as traffic and street lights, at the tail end of the project.
“So we expect to finish this project by mid next year, hopefully by June or July of 2026,” he stated. “We are now working during the night to try to minimize the traffic impact because we are using two cranes to lift so we close one part of the road,” he added.
