Ngong Road, once disliked by many because of heavy traffic jams, has now become one of the favourite routes for many Nairobians, following the completion of phase one of a dualling project.
The road, whose engineering feat rivals that of the Thika superhighway, rarely has traffic even during peak hours, making most people nearby to divert to the path to arrive at their destinations faster.
Those who work at Prestige Plaza, Lavington, Junction, Yaya Centre, Valley Arcade and other surrounding areas now prefer using Ngong Road, as opposed to Arwings Kodhec Road, which was once the must-use route to get to town faster.
Japanese engineers have completed making the 2.57km road between the Kenya National Library to the junction of Ring Road Kilimani a dual carriageway, with numerous U-turns, expanded lanes, special sections for cyclists and pedestrians.
The road has a special section for cyclists. [Photo/Mark Ojal]
When launching the project in August 2016, President Uhuru Kenyatta said that although Nairobi had changed over the years, investment in infrastructure had not matched the needs of the growing population. He said the road was part of projects meant to help the economy grow by 10%.
The Sh2.3 billion contract for the construction of the second phase of the road, between Prestige Plaza and Dagoretti Corner, has been awarded to World Kogyo Kaihatsu, a Japanese contractor.