The Outer Ring Road is a 13-kilometer road that stretches from the Ruaraka/Thika Road Junction to Taj Mall in Embakasi. The project to widen the road got underway in 2014 and is now finished.
Sinohydro Corporation, a Chinese company, took on the project, which involved enlarging the road and adding additional interchanges to relieve the current traffic congestion. Eastlands in Nairobi, Kenya, has been transformed thanks to a project Kenya financed with a 14 billion loan from the African Development Fund (AfDB) in 2015.
Reported in September 2014
Outer Ring Road in Kenya to be expanded into a dual carriage at US$82m
Sino Hydro Tianjin Engineering will undertake to expand the Outer Ring Road in Nairobi, Kenya at a cost of US$82m. This is after beating the other eight firms that submitted bids in the tendering process.
The 13 km stretch that feeds the Thika superhighway on the one end will now be expanded into a two-lane dual carriage. Instead of roundabouts, interchanges will now be used. The expansion is expected to start in October this year.
The expansion will see an improved connection for two million residents using the Outer Ring Road, Kenya. Light industries will also benefit from the connection. It is expected that the expansion will improve the feed to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The civil works are expected to be carried out within 36 months and the road could take 4 years to complete.
The project is being funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), which said it still has the right to reserve the awarding of the project if the decision was contested and grounds ascertained. African Development Bank said any complainant should request for an explanation from the Kenya Urban Roads Authority, who is the executing agency.
Already, AfDB has approved a US$115.9Mm loan and a US$5m grant for the Outer Ring road construction. The other financier is the Kenyan government, which is contributing US$11m.
Part of the civil works includes the construction of 250 market stalls with sanitary facilities. A children’s traffic safety park and three HIV/AIDs and related illnesses wellness centers will also be set up. 4500 trees will also be planted along the corridor. An artisan training program will also be launched under the project, to target 500 youths from informal settlements, to equip them with skills for employment.
Sino Hydro built a 14km stretch along Thika Superhighway in Kenya.
Reported in February 2014
Outer Ring Road in Kenya to be expanded into a dual carriage at US$82m
Sino Hydro Tianjin Engineering will undertake to expand the Outer Ring Road in Nairobi, Kenya at a cost of US$82m. This is after beating the other eight firms that submitted bids in the tendering process.
The 13 km stretch that feeds the Thika superhighway on the one end will now be expanded into a two-lane dual carriage. Instead of roundabouts, interchanges will now be used. The expansion is expected to start in October this year.
The expansion will see an improved connection for two million residents using the Outer Ring Road, Kenya. Light industries will also benefit from the connection. It is expected that the expansion will improve the feed to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The civil works are expected to be carried out within 36 months and the road could take 4 years to complete.
The project is being funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), which said it still has the right to reserve the awarding of the project if the decision was contested and grounds ascertained. African Development Bank said any complainant should request an explanation from the Kenya Urban Roads Authority, which is the executing agency.
Already, AfDB has approved a US$115.9Mm loan and a US$5m grant for the Outer Ring road construction. The other financier is the Kenyan government, which is contributing US$11m.
Part of the civil works includes the construction of 250 market stalls with sanitary facilities. A children’s traffic safety park and three HIV/AIDs and related illnesses wellness centers will also be set up. 4500 trees will also be planted along the corridor. An artisan training program will also be launched under the project, to target 500 youths from the informal settlements, to equip them with skills for employment.
Sino Hydro built a 14km stretch along Thika Superhighway in Kenya.
Kenya: President launches expansion of Outer Ring Road in Nairobi
Kenya’s President, Uhuru Kenyatta has on Friday last week officially launched the expansion project of the 13km Outer Ring Road in Nairobi. The new project is expected to be completed by September 2016.
The US$ 142m road construction and development project will lead to a big transformation in the densely populated area as it will bring down the transportation costs, help to decongest the city, and attract new investors. The road expansion/construction project will involve converting the current one into a six-lane highway with interchanges and over-passes. Construction of 10 Eastern missing links will also be carried out during the project.
The road project will, in particular, involve the construction of two lanes in each direction, service roads, 10 footbridges, non-motorized transport facilities, and six interchanges. It is fully funded by African Development Bank and the European Union in partnership with the Kenyan government and is being undertaken by a Chinese company, Sinohydro Corporation.
President Kenyatta called on, Kenya Urban Road Authority (KURA), which is the implementing agency to ensure the project is completed within a set time while quality was assured. He also thanked AfDB for funding the project.
Speaking at the event, the Director for the African Development Bank’s East Africa Regional Resource Centre (EARC), Gabriel Negatu, said this adds to other bold projects funded by the organization that would modernize Kenya’s capital, Nairobi city.
The project will also help in the training of youths to get relevant skills. “At least 500 youths from poor and vulnerable backgrounds will be trained mainly in roads and highway-related middle-level programs. The training areas will include cobblestone technology; building and construction; and plant operations,” the regional director added.
European Union has also funded other projects in the country, including the three bypasses and the Western Ring Roads, among others. It has also been indicated that the new road construction project will also improve the feed from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Reported in January 2016
Multi-million dollar mall in Kenya to be demolished for road construction
A multi-million dollar mall in Kenya is set to be demolished for road construction after the National Land Commission (NLC) rejected the title deed of the property. The land where Taj Mall is among 70 parcels of land allocated by NLC for road expansion projects along the Outering Road.
NLC chairman Muhammad Swazuri confirmed the news and said that the government compulsorily acquired the land in 1960 for the expansion of North Airport and Outer Ring Roads. He further stated that in 2013, the Kenya Urban Roads Authority asked the land commission to investigate the legality of the section of land where the mall sits.
The expansion project in Embakasi will be implemented by the Kenya Urban Roads Authority and will be executed in four phases.
The first section of the 13km road will cover the General Service Unit junction with Thika Road to Kariobangi junction. The second section will run from Kariobangi to the Kangundo Road junction, while the third section will pick up from Kangundo Road to Donholm junction. The fourth section will cover Donholm to the Eastern Bypass junction (Airport South Road).
Other than Taj Mall, Oil Libya in Embakasi, Safeway Supermarket, Jogoo Petrol Station in Outering, and Gulf Energy are other businesses set to lose their premises including for the purposes of the road expansion project.
In the past, several demolitions of buildings have been carried out to pave way for road construction in the country. In November 2008, giant retailer Nakumatt supermarket in Thika Road was demolished and thereafter lost over half a billion shillings worth of stock.
The National Land Commission (NLC) is mandated to conduct research related to land and the use of natural resources and make recommendations to appropriate authorities, to manage public land on behalf of the national and county governments, and to recommend a national land policy to the national government among other things.
Reported in May 2018
Kura completes construction of the first footbridge along Outer Ring road
Kenya Urban Roads Highway Authority (Kura) has completed the construction of the first footbridge along the Outer Ring road in Nairobi, Kenya. The new footbridge is constructed at the Baba Dogo section of the newly constructed road that runs from Taj Mall on North Airport Road to the GSU headquarters at Allsops in Ruaraka.
The Chinese firm Sinohydro Tianjin Engineering Limited is responsible for the construction of the pedestrian footbridge.
More footbridges
Initially, the 13km road did not have service lanes and had no single footbridge for pedestrian crossing. At a cost of US $8.8m, the Chinese construction company is expected to construct 10 more footbridges along the North Airport Road.
According to Kura, the first Footbridge along Outer Ring Road at Baba Dogo section has been successfully installed, and installation works are ongoing along the entire road corridor.
Since September 2014, Outer Ring Road has been under construction whereby its initial construction completion was scheduled for September last year. However, the construction project did not conclude as expected. Nonetheless, the road project now has a new completion deadline which is July 2018.
Moreover, the road has been operational since July last year given that most of the construction works are already complete.
About Kura
Under the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) is a State Corporation established by the Kenya Roads Act, 2007 with the core mandate of Management, Development, Rehabilitation, and Maintenance of National urban trunk roads. KURA is also an ISO 9001:2008 certified Authority.
Reported in February 2019
Kenya to construct bus stops and footbridges on Outer Ring Road
The Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) is planning to build 19 bus stops and 7 footbridges on Outer Ring Road located in the east of Nairobi city in bid to enhance safety for road users and improve service and access roads to facilitate evacuation and traffic movement.
Kura acting Director-General Sila Kinoti confirmed the reports and said the decision was as a result of rampant accidents that have affected pedestrians along the road after its construction was completed in July 2017.
Most dangerous road in the city
The Kenya National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) ranked the Outer Ring Road as the most dangerous road in the city in June last year. 23 people died between January and May last year along that road.
The Director-General explained that the road lacks pick-up and drop-off points to be used by both public and private cars. Concerned for their safety, residents living along the road petitioned the Kenyan parliament to set aside funds for the construction of underpasses and footbridges in April last year because the road had several black spots.
The 13 km road was built by China Wu Yi Company at a cost of US $84000. Mr. Sila Kinoti said that the authority will embark on the project at a cost of US $799,000 per footbridge. Moreover, the authority had earlier last year, embarked on a US $8.8m projects that saw 11 footbridges developed by the Chinese firm Sinohydro Tianjin Engineering Ltd.
Additionally, Mr. Kinoti said that road projects under the Nairobi Regeneration Plan are 50% complete. The US $29m project, which covers 38 roads in the Eastlands, is already ahead of schedule.
Reported in November 2019
New Outer Ring Road in Kenya to open in December
The newly constructed interchange linking Outer Ring Road and Thika Road in Kenya is set to open in December. Kenya Urban Roads Authority, Communication Manager John Chebo confirmed the report and said that the interchange will open to traffic from mid-next month to create a seamless link between the two major highways and ease traffic snarl-ups.
“The road is almost done, just a small section is left and we should open it for use mid-next month. There have been a few challenges setting up the last two footbridges as some residents feel it will encroach on their privacy when it is elevated near their fences,” said Mr. Cheboi.
Outer Ring Road project
The US $ 142m development project included converting the current one into a six-lane highway with interchanges and over-passes. Construction of 10 Eastern missing links was also carried out during the project.
Cheboi said the agency was also completing two footbridges and associated infrastructure for the highway. The link from North Airport Road, where Taj Mall stood, has also been completed to help motorists joining the highway from the airport.
The project is fully funded by African Development Bank and the European Union in partnership with the Kenyan government and is being undertaken by a Stecol Corporation (previously named Sinohydro Tianjin Engineering Co., Ltd.) who will leave the site early next month while Kura will continue to tie the loose ends.
The road is set to lead to a big transformation in the densely populated area as it will bring down the transportation costs, help to decongest the city, and attract new investors.
