•President Uhuru Kenyatta officially launched the Project in October, 2019.
•Preliminary site works have already commenced ahead of the appointment of the Construction Supervisor for the project.
Image: CRBC
China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) has received bids for Consultancy Services for construction supervision of the Sh62 billion Nairobi Expressway.
This, after the Chinese construction firm, closed its tendering process on June 24 , paving way for the winning bidder to embark on early works towards supervision of the 27.1 kilometres Nairobi Expressway project, slated for completion in December 2022.
President Uhuru Kenyatta officially launched the Project in October, 2019.
Preliminary site works have already commenced ahead of the appointment of the Construction Supervisor for the project.
The Expressway begins at Mlolongo to JKIA, Nairobi’s CBD, and ends at Westlands along Waiyaki Way.
The project is being implemented under a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model which CRBC signed with the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), in full compliance of the Public-Private Partnership Act, 2013.
The successful bidder will bear the revenue risk in the first-of-its-kind model in Kenya, which is a first step in finding new ways to facilitate infrastructural development without overburdening the exchequer.
The investor will undertake a concession period of 30 years after which the facility will be handed over to the Government of Kenya.
The dual carriageway designed to run along the central reserve of the A8 road is expected to cost Sh62 billion.
According to the CRBC tender document for the Nairobi Expressway supervision, the 27.1km project will include 18.2km at grade and 8.9km elevated.
From Mlolongo to Next Gen Mall, the Expressway will run at the same level as the existing A8 road.
From there, it will be elevated above the A8 all the way to James Gichuru Road, to minimize land use.
The road will also have a total of 10 interchanges. It is designed to minimise land acquisition by placing the toll plaza on the bridge sections, limiting the radius of ramps and the spacing between the ramps and the main lines.
The current land acquisition plan is believed to have minimal impact on the surroundings, with no land-take at Uhuru Park.
The Nairobi Expressway coupled with the recently completed Nairobi Southern bypass is expected to greatly decongest the city's central business district, reduce journeys for motorists and lessen vehicle operating costs for both local and transit vehicles.
Once completed, it’s expected to eventually reduce travel time through Nairobi from two hours to just about 20 minutes in a traffic decongestion outcome that will save hundreds of millions of shilling yearly.
According to Institute of Economic Affairs, Kenya loses over Sh 50 million daily from delays and fuel wastage caused by traffic jams, and accidents especially in urban areas.
This translates to a loss of Sh 18 billion annually.
A Kenha survey predicts that the A8 Corridor will record traffic volume growth of six per cent between the period 2018-2022.
This is expected to drop to approximately 5.2 per cent for the period 2023-2025 once the Expressway commences operations.
Growth will further drop to 3.2 per cent for the years 2026-2030.
The forecasted traffic volume (Vehicle/day) along this road is expected to peak from 22,176 in 2023 to 36,902 by 2028.
During its first year of operation, the Expressway is expected to generate approximately Sh2.1 billion ($20.4 million).
There will also be the option of using Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) which will equally reduce congestion by at least 50 per cent .
BRT will complement the Expressway and further reduce congestion by encouraging private car owners to use buses instead.
BRT will run from the entire stretch from Athi River to James Gichuru Road.
Besides easing traffic, the project is expected to generate tax revenue through income taxes and corporate taxes on expenditures, operational and corporate revenues and incomes of employees.
Projections indicate 3,000 jobs during construction and 500 jobs during operation.
Operational revenues will be generated primarily through toll fees and corporate tax, estimated at Sh 39.3 billion ($371 million).
It is intended to serve as a central part of the national and regional transport system, helping promote trade and development in Kenya and neighbouring countries-Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi and South Sudan.
Currently, the existing A8 Road moves more than 50 per cent of all goods traded in the East African Community.