KeNHA Announces 6-Day Closure Of Section Of Mombasa Road

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has announced the partial closure of Mombasa Road starting tomorrow, Monday, December 25.

In a notice on Sunday, December 24, the authority revealed that the closure will run for six days, from December 25 to Sunday, December 31.

"The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) wishes to notify the Public that there will be closure of a section of the Mombasa bound carriageway at Imaara Mall (Tuff Steel) Junction along Mombasa Road (A8) Highway.

"The closure will commence on Monday 25th December 2023 at 9.00 pm to Sunday 31st December 2023 at 4.00 am," the statement read in part.

Notice alerting motorists of planned closure of section of Mombasa Road. /KENHA KENYA

KeNHA explained that the closure is to allow for the excavation and installation of a cross culvert along the section.

To minimize the traffic disruption within this period, the closure will only affect two lanes out of four lanes.

"Motorists will be required to use the two Mombasa-bound lanes as they exercise caution on this section.

"Motorists are therefore advised to approach the section with caution and to follow the traffic signs and guidance in place," added the statement.

The closure is expected to inconvenience shoppers who access the Imaara Mall through its main entrance.

In February, KeNHA said plans were underway to upgrade the old Mombasa Road to the standards of Nairobi Expressway in a Ksh24.8 billion project that would see new footbridges and pedestrian paths constructed.

KeNHA Director General Kungu Ndungu revealed that the construction was to start soon after the repair of the sections of the road destroyed during the construction of the Expressway was complete.

He stated at the time that the restoration of sections of the road that were damaged during the construction of the 27-kilometre road was almost complete.

“There is a need to enhance the facility that existed before the Expressway.

"Therefore, KeNHA is going to implement additional facilities including footbridges while also strengthening the old road. We expect contracts to be in place in about eight weeks,” said Ndungu.

In April, Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen told Parliament that construction of three footbridges along Mombasa Road would start in May at Ksh1.2 billion to ease access to the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Syokimau terminus and stem pedestrian fatalities along the busy highway.

The works were to start on April 27 and will include the construction of a footbridge at the Hilton Inn Hotel next to the Syokimau SGR terminus. 

Two other footbridges were to be built next to the Airtel Building next to the Southern bypass interchange and another one next to the Katani station.