KeNHA to test out electronic toll collection system

The regulator similarly revealed that it has almost completed the construction of an operation and monitoring centre that will make it easier to manage the toll collection system once it becomes operational. 

“The operation and monitoring center is 98 percent complete. It is set to be done ahead of the road works,” the regulator said in a statement on Tuesday.

The China Road and Bridge Corporation was awarded the tender to construct the 27.1 km stretch of road back in June 2020. Tolls collected from motorists using the expressway will be used to cover arrears owed to the Chinese Corporation. The Chinese firm will be in charge of toll collection on the road for the next three decades. 

Motorists using the road will be required to part with anything from Ksh. 100 and Ksh. 1,550 depending on the distance travelled and the size of the vehicle they are using once the expressway becomes operational.  

KeNHA also underscored that traffic management remains a critical part of the project and it is making efforts to ensure free movement of people and goods.

“To this effect the authority has reopened previously closed sections between Mlolongo and JKIA. Haile Selassie Roundabout and UON Nairobi also have diversions and half of the road between Westlands and James Gichuru are open to members of the public. The new pedestrian bridge at General Motors has been partially opened to the public as well,” the authority said. 

The authority similarly announced plans to open up two sections of the expressway that are currently under construction by the end of 2021 so as to ease the current traffic situation experienced in some parts of Nairobi.

The first section that spans between Westlands and James Gichuru Road will be opened by October 30, 2021 while the Haile Selassie-UON roundabout section will resume operations by December 15, 2021.

A third section of the road, the elevated bit, currently stands at 87.8 percent completion but a concrete date of when it is to be completed has yet to be determined.