Hundreds of Nairobi motorists were forced to sleep along Mombasa Road on Friday, August 13 due to heavy traffic.

The traffic melee had ruled the entire 23-kilometre stretch from the Standard Group head office to Kitengela with travelers forced to spend the night in their cars.

On Friday, August 6, the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) announced a scheduled traffic disruption from Monday, August 9 to an unspecified date when the road expansion will be done.

Among those caught up in the traffic mess was former Sofapaka FC striker, Ronald Okoth who revealed that he had joined the traffic some minutes before 8pm, hoping to get home before curfew however, he lasted until around 2 am.

Not the first time

The construction of the expressway from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to Westlands has occasioned traffic congestion along Mombasa Road, Uhuru Highway and Waiyaki Way since the beginning of the year due to numerous diversions with the contractor warning of disruptions until the end of the year.

The 27-kilometre expressway constructed by China Roads and Bridges Corporation at a cost of Sh62 billion shillings is expected to be completed in February next year.

The Expressway is set to have 10 interchanges that include the Standard Gauge Railway and JKIA interchange, Eastern bypass, Capital Center, Haile Selassie, Thika road interchange, Westland's interchange, and James Gichuru.

Ongoing construction of Nairobi Expressway (BBC) Pulse Live Kenya

Is there hope for the future?

Traffic snarl-ups in the Nairobi metropolis are estimated to cost the country Sh2 billion annually.

With the completion of the multibillion-shilling project, it will take between 15 and 20 minutes to cover the 27-kilometre stretch which starts from African Inland Church, Mlolongo, all the way to James Gichuru on Waiyaki way.

Sections of the expressway will have eight, six, and four lanes based on traffic projections.

There will be a four-lane dual carriageway from Mlolongo to the Eastern Bypass and a six-lane dual carriageway from the Eastern Bypass to the Southern Bypass.

There will be a four-lane dual carriageway from the Southern Bypass to St Mark's Church in Westlands and a four-lane dual carriageway from St Mark's Church to James Gichuru Road.