The Government is set to tarmac 31 kilometers of roads in Thika Town constituency at a cost of Sh1.7 billion in efforts to ease accessibility as well as change the face of the industrial town.
About Sh.1 billion will be used to tarmac 18 kilometers of Gatuanyaga-Munyu-Kang’oki road in Thika East that has been deplorable for a long time.
Another 13 kilometers of access roads within Thika CBD that will be re-carpeted include Commercial, Cross, General Kago, Haile Selassie, Harry Thuku, Kenyatta Highway, Kwame Nkrumah, Magoko, Bull and Mama Ngina. Others are Stadium, Temple, Thika Girls, Uhuru Street, Upper Hill and Workshop. The roads will be re-carpeted at a cost of Sh700 million.
Engineer Chris Nzioka from the Planning Department, Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) said tenders have already been floated for the mega project.
He said site appreciation has been done and that they are waiting for surveys and designs before tarmacking works commence.
Speaking after leading a team of engineers from KeNHA and Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) yesterday, Nzioka said plans are there to expand some roads in the town to reduce congestion and traffic that is witnessed during rush hours.
Thika MP Patrick Wainaina who accompanied the team said the infrastructure upgrade will ease movement within the constituency as well as reduce cost of doing business.
He said several roads within the town have been deplorable for long, and improving them would ease traffic and spur economic growth.
“The tarmacking of roads would ease mobility within Thika CBD which is essential for traders and investors. It would reduce cost of doing business given that the town is majorly industrial,” said Wainaina.
The tarmacking of the Gatuanyaga –Komo road would ease the travelling challenges that Komo, Githima and Gatuanyaga have been facing over the years, forcing them to stage protests over its poor state.
Once completed, it will be the first access road to be tarmacked in villages within Thika East region, and will come as a big relief to residents and motorists.
The improvement of the road networks also comes at a time when the town is set to benefit from rail transport after the ongoing rehabilitation of the Thika-Nanyuki railway line by Kenya Railways Cooperation.
The rehabilitation is almost 80 per cent complete, according to KRC manager in charge of operations James Siele.
This would come as a relief to manufacturers and industrialists who prefer to transport their goods and raw materials using rail.
By Muoki Charles
Thika town gets 1.7 billion for roads
