The Nairobi Expressway is a toll road in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

, connecting

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Jomo Kenyatta International Airport , is an international airport in Nairobi, the capital of and largest city in Kenya. The other three important international airports in Kenya include the Kisumu International Airport, Moi International Airp ...

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper h ...

Westlands Westlands is an affluent, mixed-use commercial and residential neighbourhood in Nairobi. Location Westlands is located approximately , by road, northwest of the central business district of Nairobi. The geographical coordinates of the neighb ...

area, that has been constructed under a public-private partnership between the government of

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

and

China Road and Bridge Corporation China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), a subsidiary of Fortune Global 500 company China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), focuses on global civil engineering and construction projects such as highways, railways, bridges, ports, and ...

(CRBC).

Location

The 27.1-kilometer road starts from Mlolongo passing through JKIA and Nairobi’s CBD to the James Gichuru junction along Waiyaki Way. From Mlolongo, the road links up via an interchange with Airport South Road, to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, along the Nairobi-Mombasa Road. The highway continues along the existing roadway to the Likoni Road Junction, a distance of approximately . From the Likoni Road junction, the toll highway continues northwards to the James Gichuru Road junction, a distance of approximately .

Overview

The Nairobi Expressway is aimed at easing traffic and provide a seamless access to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and it's environs. The work involves expansion of the existing road to four-lanes one-way, (8 lanes total), with foot paths, drainage channels, overpass bridges and street lighting.

Construction and funding

The government of Kenya has contracted with

(CRBC) to build this toll road on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis. CRBC will use their own money to construct the road expansion, interchanges and toll stations. They will collect the toll fees until their investment is recovered, then the road will revert to government. The road expansion is to be done in stages. The

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...

had indicated interest in funding the road expansion, but those plans have been overtaken by events. The cost of the toll highway is quoted as between KSh51 billion (US$510 million) and KSh65 billion (US$650 million).

Recent events

In April 2022, 98.4 Capital FM reported that the construction of the expressway was complete and was awaiting political and commercial commissioning. The road project which cost over US$560 million to build, is expected to reduce travel time from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to the Nairobi central business district to between 15 and 20 minutes, instead of the two hours it took, before the expressway was built.

References

External links