Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday launched construction of a Chinese funded road project called the "Nairobi Expressway" intended to decongest the capital, Nairobi.
The 27-km dual carriageway from downtown Nairobi to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport will be financed and built by China Roads and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), which will try and recoup its investment and make a profit through toll charges.
According to the deal, CRBC, a subsidiary of state-owned China Communications Construction Company, has a 30-year concession to operate the road, a period that includes the construction period.
Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA) said the construction period was three years, but that CRBC would aim to finish in just over two years to open the road to paying customers sooner.Â
According to Xinhua news agency, the road is expected to cost $599m to build.
Just over 11km of the highway will be elevated.
Image: Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta at the launch of construction on the "Nairobi Expressway" 16 October (KENHA/Facebook)
