Chinese firm starts Sh12.5bn dualing of Eastern Bypass

The expansion of the Eastern Bypass into a dual carriageway at Sh12.5 billion has started as the government moves to ease traffic on the key road linking Mombasa Road to Thika Superhighway.

Kura said that expansion of the 28-kilometre road, which stretches through busy centres such as City Cabanas, Pipeline, Utawala, and Ruiru will be done by the China Communication Construction Company Limited.

Kura ,however, did not provide details on when the project will be completed.

A spot check yesterday showed that the contractor had begun construction at Utawala, Embakasi.

Traders welcomed the expansion saying it will boost trade and investments along the satellite towns of Utawala, Ruai, and Ruiru, among others.

“Frequent jams have discouraged investors and tenants from moving to Utawala,” Ms Mary Wambui,” a trader at Utawala said.

Development of commercial and real estate projects along the Eastern Bypass and Kangundo Road have piled pressure on the road, curtailing movement of people and goods on the route.

Some of the areas that have seen an uptick in new projects include Kamakis, Utawala, Ruai, Kamulu, Joska, Malaa, and Tala.

The bypass, one of the Vision 2030 infrastructure projects, was designed during the term of the Grand Coalition government. 

The dualing of the road, announced by then Ministry of Transport Cabinet Secretary Macharia Kamau in 2017, took time to commence as the government sought funds.

However, Mr Kamau said the road should have been expanded initially.

Treasury documents tabled in Parliament show that the State borrowed Sh2 billion to expand the road. However, the fund was yet to be disbursed to the government.

The dualing of the road is part of 11 infrastructure projects that the Kenyan government delegation showcased to global investors during the two-day Belt and Road Forum for International Co-operation in Beijing, China, in May 2017.

Others were the expansion of the Southern and Northern bypasses.

Chinese firms have increasingly won multibillion-shilling road contracts in Kenya.

China Roads and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) is at the tail end of completing the Sh59 billion Nairobi Expressway.

CRBC is building the 27.1km double-decker highway with privately sourced funds to be recovered through toll charges by its subsidiary, Moja Expressway, which will operate the road for nearly 30 years.

Dualing of the road will also boost the proposed Kenyatta family-owned Northlands City that will straddle Eastern Bypass and Thika Superhighway.

Northlands City, a mega urban development consisting of residential, industrial and commercial units, will accommodate an estimated 250,000 people.

Easy access is key for attracting investors to the city, which it is estimated will generate up to 30,000 vehicles per day spilling onto the Eastern Bypass and 27,000 vehicles per day onto the Thika Superhighway.