File photo of Telewa Roads Construction workers laying steel wires and metals on the ground at Jomvu along the Mombasa-Nairobi highway. [Photo/ nation.co.ke]
Construction works along the busy Mombasa-Jomvu superhighway is set to begin, Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) director general Peter Munindia has said.
The Sh6.5 billion tender was awarded to Third China Engineering Company which will build the 10 kilometre road. Construction works will include expanding the current single-two roadway into a dual carriageway with six lanes in the next 900 days.The road once complete, Munindia said will ease cargo transportation from the port of Mombasa to Nairobi and neighbouring countries of Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Rwanda.“We will also provide non-motorised transport network and adjacent truck parking areas including service lanes to improve accessibility to surrounding business areas and port related activity centres such as Container Freight Stations (CFSs),” Mundinia said when KeNHA board members inspected construction works on Dongo Kundu bypass.The construction works which is part of turning the 41.6 kilometre Mombasa-Mariakani road into a dual carriageway is funded by the government and the African Development Bank (AfDB).Munindia said KeNHA was in the process of slotting bids for the construction of phase two and three of the Dongo Kundu bypass. Early June, KeNHA advertised for the tender for construction of phases two and three after the government secured funds.Phase two of the investment is 8.9 kilometres between Mwache junction and Mteza, while phase three encompasses the 6.9 kilometres between Mteza and Kibundani, connecting the road with the Likoni-LungaLunga highway.“We expect that the bids will be out on August 23rd after which we will do the evaluation and award the contract. The entire bypass will cost about Sh39 billion and will be complete in four years,” Munindia said.