Nairobi, Naivasha Standard Gauge Railway (SGR ) project has been completed, and is set to be commissioned by President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday October 16.
The Ksh150 billion second phase of SGR has been under construction for the last three years, and will pave way for cargo and passengers services on the 120.49 kilometre.
Madaraka Expressway rail between Nairobi and Naivasha connects Mombasa through Nairobi to the resort town of Naivasha, where a dry port is also under construction to ease the movement of goods.
The railway line project has been under construction by the China Communications Construction Company-a Chinese based company.
It had been set to be completed in May but was delayed due to compensation claims. The National Lands Commission has so far spent a total of Sh17.6 billion to compensate land owners.
“By July we were supposed to be handing over but now the plans have been affected by land issues,” Jasper Liu, assistant manager-public relations and cooperation department at CCCC had said earlier.
President Kenyatta is also expected to use the occasion to commission construction of the Nairobi Expressway Project which connects Mombasa Road and Nakuru Highway at Rironi that is projected to cost Ksh50 billion and will take 3 years to complete.
The Ksh50 billion project was first proposed 11 years ago and is expected to reduce travel time along the highway by two hours.
According to the design, the multi-billion shillings road project to be constructed by the China Road and Bridge Corporation through a Public Private Partnership will be between Mlolongo, in Machakos County, through Nairobi and Rironi, Kiambu County.
The contractor China Road and Bridge Corporation will fund the project with the completion date slated for the year 2022.
