Nairobi Southern Bypass Highway
The Nairobi Southern Bypass Highway is a road in Kenya, forming a semi-circle through the south-western neighborhoods of the capital city of Nairobi. The road allows traffic from Mombasa, destined for western Kenya and Uganda to bypass downtown Nairobi, thereby reducing traffic congestion in the city's central business district.[1]
| Nairobi Southern Bypass Highway | |
|---|---|
| Route information | |
| Length | 18.4 mi (29.6 km) |
| History | Designated in June 2012 Completion in November 2016 |
| Major junctions | |
| Southeast end | Nairobi-Mombasa Road at Likoni Road |
| Uhuru Gardens Ngong Road Muguga | |
| Northwest end | Gitaru |
| Highway system | |
| Roads in Kenya | |
Location
The road starts at the junction of the Nairobi–Mombasa Road and Likoni Road, approximately 10 kilometres (6 mi) south-east of the city centre.[2] The road then loops through the south-western suburbs of Nairobi, including the northern environs of Nairobi National Park, Uhuru Gardens, Lang'ata and Dagoretti. In Dagoretti, the road enters Kiambu County and then turns northwards, to pass through Muguga and end in the town of Kikuyu, in a suburb known as Gitaru. At that location, the road connects with the Nairobi-Malaba Road (A104).[3]
The total length of the Nairobi Southern Bypass Highway is approximately 29.6 kilometres (18 mi).[4]
Overview
This road is intended to relieve traffic congestion in the capital city's central business district, by diverting long-distance traffic from and to the port city to Mombasa, destined for western Kenya and the land-locked countries of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and the eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[5]
In a similar effort, other bypass highways have been built on the northern and eastern sides of Nairobi, with the objective of alleviating downtown traffic congestion.[6]
Construction
The Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA), selected China Road and Bridge Corporation to construct the four-lane dual carriageway highway, at a cost of US$180 million (KSh18 billion). The construction was funded by the government of Kenya together with the Export Import Bank of China, as illustrated in the table below.[5][7] The completed road was commissioned by the president of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta and his guest, the president of Tanzania, John Magufuli, on 2 November 2016.[8]
| Rank | Development Partner | Contribution in US$ | Percentage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exim Bank of China | 85.0 | Loan | |
| 2 | Government of Kenya | 15.0 | Investment | |
| Total | 100.0 | |||
References
- Kibet, Lonah (23 May 2013). "Smooth ride for motorists ahead as Southern by-pass works begin". The Standard (Kenya). Nairobi. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- Globefeed.com (5 March 2019). "Distance between Central Nairobi, Kenya and DTB Centre, Kenya". Globefeed.com. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- Google (5 March 2019). "Location of the Nairobi Southern Bypass Highway" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- Globefeed.com (5 March 2019). "Distance between DTB Centre Nairobi, Kenya and Gitaru, Kenya". Globefeed.com. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- Patrick Thuita (18 August 2016). "Nairobi Southern Bypass now set for official opening". Nairobi: Constructionkenya.com. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- Daily Nation News (8 February 2009). "Bypass construction starts without approval from environmental body". Daily Nation. Nairobi. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- Antony Kiganda (27 June 2016). "Nairobi Southern bypass nearing completion". Nairobi: Construction Review Online. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- Mathenge, Oliver (2 November 2016). "Presidents Uhuru and Magufuli open Southern Bypass to decongest city". The Star (Kenya). Nairobi. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
External links
- Why you will soon be paying on the spot to use major roads As of 16 June 2018.