The operator of the Nairobi Expressway has announced the closure of the road following the expiry of the trial period.
Moja Expressway Company Limited says the highway will remain closed starting at 9.00 pm on Saturday to pave way for the official commissioning of the road by the government.
“The trial period for the Nairobi Expressway, which commenced on May 14th, 2022, has come to an end. The road will now be closed from 9 pm this Saturday, July 30th 2022 until it is officially commissioned,” the company said in a statement on Saturday.
“The commissioning will mark a monumental achievement which has given Nairobi a new face. Moja Expressway Company Limited regrets any inconvenience caused and motorists will be advised upon resumption of service on the expressway,” it added.
President Kenyatta is expected to officially commission the 27-kilometer highway on a date yet to be disclosed.
Speaking ahead of its opening on a trial basis in May, President Kenyatta said the trial would help the government to identify areas and sections of the road that needed polishing and improvement.
The expressway, the first major project in the country to be carried out through a Public-Private Partnership [PPP] model, begins from Mlolongo through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and Nairobi CBD to the Westlands area along Waiyaki Way.
The Sh88 billion highway has 11 interchanges at Mlolongo, Standard Gauge Railway, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Eastern Bypass, Southern Bypass, Capital Centre, Haile Selassie Avenue, Museum Hill, Westlands, and James Gichuru Road.
Moja Expressway, a subsidiary of the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) which is responsible for designing, financing, and building the highway, will maintain and operate the road for 27 years to recoup its investment through toll fees.
