- Murkomen said the move will help to preserve the quality of the road and ensure the safety of road users.
- Murkomen called on all motorists to adhere to road signage and the set speed limit while approaching the sections.
Image: FILE
Transport CS Kpichumba Murkomen has announced measures to be observed to curb accidents at the Southern bypass.
This was after an uproar from Kenyans that there were accidents occurring due to road maintenance.
"As a regular user of the road, I have also had the opportunity to observe the ongoing repair works. There is ongoing road maintenance which entails patching and resurfacing of the road to seal cracks that have emerged due to the ageing of bitumen," he said.
"I am aware of recent accidents that have occurred on this road, and investigations are ongoing to determine the causes," he said.
To prevent accidents and protect lives, the CS, said that the contractor has placed road signage and installed temporary bumps made of quarry dust in the freshly repaired areas.
He also said there was an installation of bumps and a reduction of speed to 50 KPH.
Murkomen said the move will help to preserve the quality of the road and ensure the safety of road users.
He said that police have also been stationed near the construction sites to prevent motorists from speeding beyond the stipulated 50 KPH limit.
"It is worth noting that the ongoing repairs have been slowed down by the huge traffic volumes on the road, which the contractor has to contend with, against the strict timelines set for completion of the maintenance works," he said.
"As a ministry, we have discussed with the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) and the contractor to continue implementing further measures to enhance safety and prevent road crashes as they expedite construction works."
Murkomen called on all motorists to adhere to road signage and the set speed limit while approaching the sections.
Further, he directed KeNHA to issue a Public Notice to all motorists clearly identifying the sections under maintenance and the stipulated speed limit applicable to these sections.
"As I promised Kenyans earlier this year, we are progressing well with the installation of speed cameras on our highways. We have rolled out the pilot phase of this project and cameras have been installed in major highways including the Southern bypass," he said.