Covid-19 did not adversely affect the tarmacking of the Sh18 billion Kibwezi-Kitui-Migwani road as the contractor has completed work three months ahead of schedule.
Chinese Synohydro corporation company chief engineer Zeng Yun said the road is fully tarmacked and the final section was opened to motorists last week.
They are now adding road marks for the entire section.
The deadline for completion of the 192-kilometer road was March 2021.
“Currently we are doing final touches here and there and by the end of December, we will demobilise as we will have completed all the works as per the contract. We were expected to conclude tarmacking the 192 kilometers by March 2021. We are ahead of time,” said Yun.
He thanked the residents of Makueni and Kitui for the support they have given the contractor during the project.
“When coronavirus outbreak was reported, we were concerned and there was fear that the pandemic would delay the project but we became innovative. We came up with a plan to indiscriminately supply our workers with face marks and sanitisers and asked them to keep social distance as they worked,” he added.
Zeng said the strategy not only helped to ensure that work continued at its pace during Covid-19 period but also served to ensure that they workers were protected from the malady.
“I want to let you know that not a single member of our workforce has so far been infected by Covid-19,” he pointed.
He said since work continued uninterrupted, the firm has managed to beat the March 2021 contract deadline by three months.
Yun said despite occasional challenges caused by heavy rains, the firm was consistent.
Since the tarmacking of the road reached Kitui, transportation between Kibwezi-and Kitui has eased up as it takes one and half hours to commute between that two towns. Previously the journey took at least six hours.
Residents say the road has been a game changer as fares have also dropped and business has blossomed with new trading centres coming up along the busy highway. The value of land has also appreciated significantly.
The contractor has rehabilitated boreholes, schools, and earth dams during along the project path.
The works were launched by President Kenyatta in 2017 as part of his legacy infrastructure project. The President is expected to tour the project early next year as part of a meet the people tour.
