The three interchanges in Nakuru at Nyahururu turnoff, Njoro turnoff and Mau summit junctions are expected to be handed over to the government by the end of the year.
The project that is funded by the World Bank under the Kenya Transport sector support project (KTSSP) will see improved road safety and decongestion along the busy highways.
This is according to Engineer Paul Omondi from Kenya National Highways Authority who spoke in Nakuru on Monday during the World Bank Mission Visit of the project.
“The aim of the interchanges was to improve road safety and decongestion along the busy highways. You can see that they are almost complete and we expect the interchanges to revert back to the government by early next year,” Omondi said.
The three interchanges were executed over a period of three years.
Omondi said conflict surrounding land acquisition was a major challenge in implementing the projects.
He said this led to the delays in completion of the Njoro interchange.
“Some landowners denied us the land leading to the delay in construction of the projects but as we talk we are almost through with the work. At Mau Summit, we still have a challenge with hawkers who don’t make use of the underpass and we are appealing to them to do so to avert accidents in the area,” he said.
To address the challenge at Nyahururu turn off interchange where motorist coming from section 58 have no way to get to Nakuru-Nyahururu Highway, Kenha is in the process of acquiring land from Kenya Railway to have an access road to link the same.
“We have plans to address the menace at 58. We have had long discussions with Kenya Railways and they have allowed us to construct an access road in the area. The current one will be closed down,” Omondi added.
Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui commended Kenha, the national government and the World Bank for the project.
He said the development is a major boost towards decongestion of Nakuru county.
“I think ours as a county is to thank the partners for this project which is a major boost towards road safety. As a county we will work to see to it that the spaces left around the interchanges are utilized so that they do not become hubs for criminal activities,” said Kinyanjui.
#hivisasaoriginal