Thika Superhighway to get 4 more footbridges

The Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) has begun to erect four more footbridges on the busy Thika superhighway.

They will be located at Garden City, the Kenya School of Monetary Studies (KSMS), Witeithie and Mangu (Jomoko).

KeNHA also plans to construct social amenities –a bus stop, public toilets and mini stalls– that will be maintained by the contractor in charge of the highway.

At Jomoko, near the entrance to Thika Town, excavation is complete and steelwork is scheduled to kick off next week.

Public service operators have in the past lamented over lack of footbridges on the road, citing several accidents involving pedestrians.

Joseph Kyalo and Peter Ng’ang’a, matatus conductors whose vehicles ply the superhighway, noted that a student was recently killed as he tried to run across the road.

They said he was crossing the road from Mang’u to board a matatu to Nairobi, when an oncoming vehicle hit him and he died on the spot.

Eng. Stephen Murimi, whose company is constructing the Jomoko and Witeithie bridges, said the two will be ready by the end of this year.

He estimated that the cost of the two footbridges and the social amenities would be Ksh.400 million.

Thika Town MP Patrick Wainaina, who visited the site, welcomed the move saying it’s a trajectory towards re-positioning the town as an economic hub.

He said the construction of the footbridges has also provided much needed employment for residents in the area.