The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has announced the partial seven-day closure of Mombasa Road at the Southern Bypass interchange.
The notice adds another layer of complexity to the already heavy constructions affecting the busy highway from Standard Group offices on Mombasa Road to Gitaru on Waiyaki Way.
The closure started last night and will end on Friday, December 13. According to a notice issued by the highway authority, the closure will allow maintenance along the Southern Bypass interchange.
KeNHA says it will partially close the Nairobi-bound carriageway on Mombasa Road between FUSO and the Southern Bypass Interchange at Ole Sereni.
Motorists caught up in traffic in the Westlands area, Nairobi County.
Photo: Kenyans.co.ke
According to KeNHA, during this period of road closure, heavy vehicles of gross weight greater than 3.5 tonnes and other motorists heading to the Southern Bypass will be diverted to exit the main highway at Kyang’ombe Slip Road through Old Mombasa Road.
Other vehicles will use a single lane that will be provided along the affected section.
“Motorists are requested to exercise caution around the work areas, follow the proposed traffic management plan, and cooperate with the police and traffic marshals on site,” reads part of the notice from KeNHA Director General Engineer Kungu Ndungu.
The closure of part of the Southern Bypass comes at a time when KeNHA has the temporary closure of the Uhuru Highway at the Haile Sellasie roundabout for 51 days.
The disruption was due to scheduled road works for the construction of the pedestrian underpass at the section of the road. According to the KeNHA boss, the construction works would commence next week, Thursday to Friday, January 17, 2025.
Already, the closure has caused heavy traffic snarl-ups within the capital, with motorists entering the capital witnessing long traffic jams through Haile Sellasie and Kenyatta Avenue.
In a notice issued on Friday, KeNHA announced the partial 37-day closure of Waiyaki Way at the Kangemi Interchange to build a bridge. The bridge is being constructed at the intersection of Loresho, Muthanga, and Hinga roads.
Last month, the highways authority warned of a one-month closure of part of the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway linking the Southern and Western Bypass.
In a statement, KeNHA revealed the disruption was due to the ongoing roadworks for the construction of the right-hand side carriageway linking the two roads.
As a result of the scheduled road works, the Highways Authority disclosed traffic along the aforementioned roads would be disrupted for up to a month from Tuesday, November 19 to December 19.
“We would like to inform the public of a temporary traffic disruption at Gitaru interchange on Waiyaki Way (A8) and Southern bypass to Western bypass,” KeNHA said in their statement.
A section of the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway
Photo
NTV