Dualling of the Salgaa and Sachangwan blackspot on the Nakuru-Eldoret highway has kicked off. The project is set to take a year at a cost of US $7.4m.
The decision to dual the highway was made last year after road accidents killed more than 100 people within a span of two months.A Chinese firm, China Railways No. 10 Limited, was awarded the tender to construct the 22 km stretch from Sobea to Mau Summit.
Kenya Highways Authority (KeNHA) AssistantDirector in charge of corporate communication, Charles Njogu, said the project is one of the efforts the agency is undertaking to reduce road accidents in the area.
“There will also be road signs to warn and educate road users on various issues. We want to ensure accidents are reduced to the minimum,” said Charles Njogu.
Meanwhile, more than twenty lorries and other heavy construction vehicles started works a few metres from Salgaa trading centre at Migaa.
Also read: Kenya needs US $79.4m to repair damaged roads
“We have been witnessing many accidents on this route for many years and we always feel bad seeing people dying here. We appreciate that could now be a thing of the past,” Mr Josephat Karanja, a Sachangwan resident said.
A service station
A station is set to be built on the road to check vehicle braking systems since many of the accidents that occurred in the black spot were blamed on brake failures.
“We dread accidents, especially over the festive season. For long we have asked the government to come up with a solution and now we appreciate it has done something,” said Ms Lucy Wangari, a Salgaa trader.
Last December, 36 Kenyans lost their lives at Salgaa. This prompted the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to impose a night travel ban for public service vehicles which was then lifted by the High Court Judge Chacha Mwita.
