Motorist plying Maai Mahiu – Narok route can now breathe a sigh of relief after Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) announced that the road will be ready for use by Thursday, April 30.
Speaking when he led a team of KeNHA directors to inspect the ongoing restoration on Tuesday, KeNHA board chairman, Wangai Ndirangu, said that they had managed to restore the road four days after it was eroded by flash floods.
“We have come here with a team of directors to inspect the ongoing works since this road is very critical as it connects the western part of the country to Nairobi city,” he said.
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Ndirangu confirmed that the engineer on site was working round the clock to ensure the road that had developed a ten meters deep crack is restored by tomorrow [Thursday] while assuring the motorists that the bridge was now safe for use.
“Before the road is completely open for use, we advise motorists plying this road to use alternative routes to enable smooth completion of the road,” he said.
The roads engineer said that they have put on standby professionals in the area to identify possible cracks and direct motorists to use alternative diversions that the department has identified.
Narok East MP Ken Kiloku said the road affects the economy of Narok County directly as hundreds of business people and residents use the road daily.
However, he commended KeNHA for acting immediately when the fault occurred, saying this averted any danger that could have occurred.
Narok Roads Minister Evalyne Cherotich said the county government will mobilize the residents to plant trees in a bid to combat floods that are believed to have caused the crack.
“I believe the lasting solution to such incidents is planting trees on the uplands to curb the speed of flash floods,” said Cherotich.
Last year, the same road developed a crack 5km from Maai Mahiu town, but engineers from the China Communications Construction Company and KeNHA immediately embarked on major repairs of the road.
The busy road was totally cut off, with a fissure extending more than 3km upstream and 200 metres on the opposite end.
Former President Kibaki inaugurated the Maai Mahiu-Narok Road that connects Nairobi to the South rift, the world-famous Maasai Mara Game Reserve, Western Kenya and Luo Nyanza on August 26, 2011.
