Ruto Announces Plans to Expand Rironi-Maai Mahiu Highway into Four Lanes

President William Ruto has announced plans to expand the Rironi-Maai Mahiu Highway into a four-lane road in a move aimed at reducing persistent traffic congestion along the busy transport corridor.

Speaking on Sunday, November 15, during a church service at St Mary’s Girls High School in Narok Town, the Head of State said the government had already made plans to upgrade the road to improve traffic flow and ease movement for motorists.

Ruto noted that the route was an important connection for travellers heading from Nairobi to Narok and other parts of Western Kenya and the Lake Region.

“I know you are using the road from Nairobi to Rironi to Maai Mahiu to Narok here. The road from Rironi to Maai Mahiu, we will make it a four-lane highway to help reduce the traffic jam along the escarpment,” Ruto stated.

The President, however, did not provide a specific timeline for the commencement or completion of the proposed expansion.

The planned upgrade is expected to address congestion along the 23-kilometre stretch, which has experienced heavy traffic, particularly during weekends and festive seasons.

The road serves as a major transport link for motorists travelling from Nairobi towards Narok, Nakuru and other destinations in Western Kenya. It also handles a significant volume of heavy commercial vehicles transporting goods across the country.

Over the years, motorists using the route have experienced delays, especially along the escarpment, where heavy trucks and other vehicles contribute to traffic build-ups.

The road has also raised safety concerns associated with its design, driver behaviour and challenging weather conditions, making its improvement an important infrastructure consideration.

Meanwhile, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) had already initiated the procurement process for the design of the proposed road upgrade under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework.

The authority submitted its findings to the PPP Directorate for consideration as part of the process towards implementing the project.

If approved and implemented, the expansion would increase road capacity, improve traffic movement and potentially reduce travel time for thousands of motorists using the route.

However, motorists will be waiting for further details from the government regarding the project’s financing, implementation timeline and commencement of construction.

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