KeNHA now invites bids to construct Witeithie, Mangu Rd. Footbridges.

Residents of Witeithie Estate, Ngoingwa and Mang’u in Juja, Thika Town and Gatundu North Constituencies respectively have a reason to smile after the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) started inviting bids for the construction of more footbridges along the Thika superhighway.

Further still, motorists are headed for an easy ride along this highway as the lack of footbridges has forced authorities to erect barriers on the busy superhighway, thus slowing traffic clearance.

At the moment, motorists on Thika Road have to slow down to allow pedestrians to cross at several sections along the highway which still have bumps and rumble strips. This has resulted to the death of pedestrians and bodaboda riders by hit and run drivers causing major traffic snarl ups.

“The Kenya National Highways Authority invites tenders from eligible candidates for provision of construction of pedestrian crossing facilities across the Thika Superhighway (A2s) at Witeithie and Mangu Road,” read a notice published by the agency earlier this week.

The procurement follows a February High Court ruling that directed the KeNHA and City Hall to remove bumps and rumble strips along the superhighway within 60 days.

The ruling by Justice George Odunga followed a petition by Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko who had sued the two agencies arguing that the bumps and rumble strips were the cause of traffic jams on the busy highway.

In November last year, residents of Witeithie area near Mang’u High School barricaded the highway after the death of a bodaboda rider leading to a 6km traffic snarl up.

Anti-riot police later disbursed the angry protesters. The number of pedestrian fatalities caused by human errors or careless driving has been rising since completion of the road in 2012.

The growth in the population of people living along the busy highway has made the need for footbridges even more urgent to avert further loss of lives. There are also a number of institutions of higher learning are located along the road, further escalating the need for footbridges to avert fatalities.

There are 18 footbridges along the highway with 10 others designed but yet to be build due to budget constraints.