Motorists travelling on the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway are expected to experience less congestion after the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) opened the 11.3-kilometre Mombasa-Kwa Jomvu Interchange to traffic following years of delays.
KeNHA said the project has reached a 99.4 per cent completion rate, with only minor works remaining before full completion.
The authority said motorists can now use the interchange, which is a key section of the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway and an important route for cargo moving to and from the Port of Mombasa.
“The 11.3-kilometre Mombasa-Kwa Jomvu Interchange has officially been opened to traffic, marking a major milestone in the project’s implementation,” KeNHA said.
KeNHA said the project had earlier faced major delays caused by compensation challenges affecting people impacted by the road expansion.
However, the authority said the outstanding issues were later resolved, allowing construction to progress and paving the way for the road to be opened to traffic.
The opening comes almost a year after KeNHA reported that the first phase of the project had reached more than 95 per cent completion.
At the time, KeNHA Director General Luka Kimeli said the government had started compensation payments to affected landowners after years of delays that had stalled the project.
The government also released additional funds through the National Land Commission to support compensation and enable contractors to resume work on the highway.
The road project, which began in 2023, is being financed by the European Investment Bank, the German Development Bank and the European Union at a cost of about Ksh19 billion.
It involves expanding the existing road into a four-lane dual carriageway, alongside the construction of climbing lanes, service roads and key interchanges to improve traffic flow.
The wider project runs from Mombasa through Kwa Jomvu, Miritini and Mazeras before ending at the Mariakani Weighbridge.
The opening of the interchange is expected to ease congestion around Jomvu, improve cargo movement from the Port of Mombasa and enhance connectivity along the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway, one of East Africa’s most important trade routes.