The Nairobi Expressway Mlolongo Toll Station. PHOTO | DENNIS ONSONGO | NMG

The Kenya Nationwide Highways Authority (KeNHA) on Tuesday mentioned that plans are underway to improve the outdated Mombasa Street to the requirements of Nairobi Expressway in a Sh24.8 billion undertaking that can see new footbridges and pedestrians’ paths constructed.

KeNHA Director Normal Kungu Ndungu mentioned on Tuesday that the development will begin quickly after the restore of the sections of the street destroyed in the course of the building of the Expressway is full. 

He mentioned that the restoration of sections of the street that had been broken in the course of the building of the 27km street is sort of full.  

“There may be want to boost the power that was current earlier than the Expressway. Due to this fact, KeNHA goes to implement further services together with footbridges whereas additionally strengthening the outdated street. We anticipate contracts to be in place in about eight weeks,” mentioned Ndungu. 

Kenha had mentioned that the State intends to accumulate further land to improve the outdated street by increasing some sections, constructing walkways and Bus Fast Transit (BRT) after the present works are full.

The Nationwide Treasury estimates that taxpayers will spend about Sh24.8 billion with a lot of the allocation going in direction of compensation for the acquisition of the land.

By finish of June final yr, the exchequer had launched a complete of Sh5.93 billion for the toll street, with a giant chunk of the funds getting used for land compensation in the course of the building of 27.4-kilometre freeway and the switch of such utilities as water pipes, energy strains and fibre optics.

The Nairobi Expressway, which hyperlinks Westlands to Jomo Kenyatta Worldwide Airport (JKIA), was constructed by a Chinese language contractor on a Public Non-public Partnership (PPP) mannequin at a complete value of Sh88 billion.

The federal government additionally put aside Sh9 billion to rehabilitate sections of the outdated Mombasa Street that had been broken by the contractor.

The expenditure of Sh24.8 billion is along with a contingent legal responsibility of the multi-billion undertaking that exposes Kenya’s authorities to lawsuits ought to the undertaking abort earlier than the 27 years that the contractor, China Street and Bridge Company, is anticipated to recuperate its investments.

The Chinese language agency is anticipated to earn an estimated Sh106.8 billion revenue for the 27 years it’s going to personal the expressway.

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