Witeithie, Njomoko to get footbridges beginning January 2018

The Government of Kenya has announced a plan to construct four new footbridges along the Thika Superhighway in an upgrade that will see the removal of speed bumps and rumble strips.

This was revealed by the Deputy Director of Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), Engineer Cleophas Makau who clarified that the bridges would be built at Garden city Mall junction, Kenya School of Monetary Studies, Witeithie and the Mang’u road junction (Njomoko).

Makau said that the work will start in January adding that the tenders valued at Sh822 million have already been awarded to Fourways Construction Limited and Interways Works Limited.

The deputy director pointed out that priority had been given to those areas where accidents occurred frequently.

This first phase of the construction of the four bridges has been funded by the Government of Kenya.

KeNHA also plans to have at least eight more bridges on the superhighway by next year which will be made possible subject to availability of funds. KeNHA is currently seeking financial aid from Belgium.

“We plan to have at least eight bridges by the end of next year. I am now seeking funds from Belgium as this first phase has already been funded by the government,” he explained.

All bumps and rumble strips will be removed from the road in an attempt to comply with the move. They have been blamed for traffic jams on the highway which was expanded to eight lanes to ease gridlocks because motorists have been forced to slow down to allow pedestrians to cross at several sections along the highway which still have bumps and rumble strips.

The number of footbridges on the 50 kilometer road will increase to 22 in an effort to tame the escalating pedestrian fatalities.

The project comes barely four months after Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko vowed to remove bumps from the road.

Frequent users of the highway have been requesting more footbridges at spots like Gwa Kairu near Kenyatta University (Ruiru campus), the Toll Station near Ruiru Club, Juja High, near Ndarugo area at the Bob Harries/Nyacaba Road crossing and at Witeithie main stage.