The Kenya Port Authority (KPA) has confirmed that the Ksh8.3 billion Mombasa road project is now 49.3 per cent complete, with construction moving steadily despite public scrutiny.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

According to details shared by KPA Managing Director Captain William Ruto on July 9, the milestone of the 1.4 kilometre road comes at a time when questions have been swirling around the project's true cost and value. “The Mombasa Road project is more than 49 per cent complete, and we are glad that things are going as planned despite the challenges that we have encountered in the process,” stated Captain Ruto.

He reiterated that workers on site have continued viaduct construction, a key structural component intended to ease traffic flow through the busy port city.

Alongside this, teams have been installing new drainage systems to tackle flooding that has long plagued sections of the road network.

📌 What You Need to Know

Moreover, utility relocation has also formed a major part of the works, as crews shift pipes, cables, and other infrastructure out of the construction path.

Traffic management measures have also been rolled out to minimise disruption for motorists and businesses operating around the busy Mombasa corridor.

The project is designed to eliminate persistent logistics gridlocks and address longstanding security vulnerabilities affecting cargo movement within the busy port.

The infrastructure directly targets  Gate 18  of the port, junction gridlock, creating an express route that bypasses the congested point entirely, while also eliminating ground-level railway crossings that have long delayed trucks navigating Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and meter-gauge train movements.

Beyond decongestion, the project bridges the operational gap between the Kilindini side and the Second Container Terminal, enabling faster container evacuation and significantly reducing cargo turnaround times that have made the Port of Mombasa less competitive against regional rivals like Dar es Salaam.

Given its proximity to sensitive Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) fuel storage tanks, the project incorporates massive retaining walls and deep-foundation engineering to stabilise the terrain, prevent soil erosion, and shield critical energy infrastructure from heavy truck vibrations.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke