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The Nairobi Expressway is a marvel to behold and with every stage, the road contractors continue to surprise Kenyans on how well thought out the project was.
Kenyans have seen the elevated road take shape in more ways than could have been imagined, from the speed of construction to the designs.
Many questions were raised on what would happen to various sections of the expressway route which were deemed difficult to manouvre.
First was the footbridge at Bellevue which many reports said would be demolished to pave way for the expressway.
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However through advanced technology and accuracy, the contractor managed to construct the elevated road just above the footbridge. This was also done at the Nyayo Stadium foorbridge.
This helped pedestrians in crossing the every-busy Mombasa Road which can be a death trap without the footbridge.
Less than a kilometer ahead, the road contractor was also faced by the same challenge, but this time the structure was more complex.
The South C overpass used by cars was also spared as the expressway passed over, the overpass, making the road at that particular section a three storey structure.
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Perhaps even more difficult was the Museum Hill interchange, where Uhuru Highway and Waiyaki Way link to Forest Road (Wangari Maathai Raod) which is an extension of the Thika Superhighway.
Here, two super imposing elevated road structures posed the greatest challenge, not only due to the convergence of 3 roads and a river beneath, but also because of the height involved.
The expressway contractor managed to carefully weave the new project into the existing infrastructure which was already elevated to begin with.
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The expressway now passes over and above Forest Road, which is also above Waiyaki Way, creating a three storey road infrustructure at the section. (Waiyaki Way on the ground level, Forest Road of the second level and the Nairobi Expressway on the third level.)
In mid-July, Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary (CS) James Macharia announced that the Nairobi Expressway project is set to be ready by February 2022, six months ahead of schedule.
According to the CS, the government has pushed the contractor to deliver it early to ease traffic snarl-up on the busy highway.
“We requested the Ministry of Interior to offer security to the contractor to ensure smooth operations on a 24-hour basis. We are glad they are working in shifts that will see the road completed before schedule,” said CS Macharia.