JKIA-Westlands Expressway to Cost Sh2.4 Billion per Kilometer

On October 16th, President Kenyatta commissioned the construction of the multi-billion-shilling Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA)–Westlands Expressway.

The 27-kilometer road is expected to cost about Sh65 billion or Sh2.41 billion per kilometer, becoming Kenya’s second-most expensive highway.

The expressway will be built via a private-public partnership (PPP) between the government of Kenya and the China Road and Bridge Cooperation (CRBC).

Its construction will begin near JKIA and end at the James Gichuru junction in Westlands. The first phase will involve the construction of four lanes at ground level from Mlolongo to the Eastern Bypass junction and covers 10 kilometers in total.

The second stretch will have six lanes at ground level to the Southern-Bypass Interchange (Ole-Sereni) covering five kilometers.

The last section will incorporate four lanes of an elevated road through the City-Center and along Uhuru Highway to the James Gichuru junction and covers 11.2 kilometers.

Motorists plying the road will have to pay toll fees with saloon cars parting with Sh6 per kilometer while trucks with four or more axles will pay Sh30 per kilometer.

During a recent workshop on smart cities organized by the Institute of Certified Investment and Financial Analysts (Icifa), experts raised questions on the viability of the project.

“The first question we need to ask ourselves is, who is it being made for? Ordinary Kenyans or a select few? Because toll roads are generally very expensive,” posed former Icifa chairman George Kihumba.

The road will be handed over to the Kenyan government in 2049 and the Chinese company will have minted Sh102 billion through toll charges, according to The Standard.

Dongo Kundu Bypass in Mombasa is said to be the most expensive road in the history of Kenya, according to Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA).

The nine-kilometer stretch between Mwache and Mteza cost the taxpayer a staggering Sh2.7 billion per kilometer having been constructed a total cost of Sh24 billion.

Engineers behind the infrastructure masterpiece said the high cost of the bypass was as a result of two major sea bridges running for 2.1 kilometers.

KeNHA also indicated that building roads in Mombasa is more costly compared to other parts of the country due to the challenging terrain that requires heavy reinforcement.

 “Road construction costs when stated on per kilometer basis vary widely due to various factors… Certain alignments require the construction of drainage structures such as bridges and box culverts that carry a significant cost,” says KeNHA in its report as quoted by Business Daily.

“Whether a road is situated in a rural or urban setting (also) has a major bearing on costs, with urban environments being significantly more costly.”

The 2.6-kilometer Magongo-Changamwe Road in Mombasa is also another expensive road priced at Sh930.9 million per kilometer while 11.3-kilometre Mombasa-Kwa Jomvu section of the Mombasa-Miritini highway is being upgraded at a cost Sh532 million per kilometer.