The government will from next month begin the tarmacking of 24 kilometers Gatuanyaga ring-road at a cost of Sh1billion making it the first tarmac road in Thika East Sub County.
The road will stretch from Muguka-Ngurai-Munyu-Githima-Kang’oki-Kisii and back to the Thika-Garissa highway, and will help ease traffic in the busy road.
It will be a Class B road, 6.5 metres wide with provision for pedestrian walkways and a lane for cyclists, able to withstand heavy trucks that ferry building stones from local quarries.
It is being constructed by Inter-Works limited and will take 30 months to be completed. They will also be involved in Sh700million maintenance of Thika town CBD roads.
Speaking during a public participation meeting organized by Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) yesterday, Thika Town MP Patrick Wainaina said the contactors are up to the task and that he will engage them to adjust the contracts to complete works by two years time.
He said it is the first time the area, and by extension Thika East will have a tarmac road other than the Thika-Garissa Highway, and that it will open up and ease accessibility in the area.
“Residents have suffered enough due to the poor state of this road, especially during rainy seasons. It took a lot of lobby from the government and it has finally paid off. After its completion, expect land prices to triple due to its accessibility to Thika town,” said Wainaina.
He said once completed, street lights will be erected to enhance security, adding that 30 per cent of jobs will be given to locals.
Wainaina at the same time called on those who have encroached the road corridor to vacate and allow for construction, warning that all structures along the road will be pulled down.
This comes as residents led by former Councilor Ng’ang’a Wanjukira said the road designs cut across some of their plots calling for a revision of the designs.
“If you have encroached the road, you have to pull your structure down since once works begins, they will be destroyed to pave way for the roads. The designs can’t be contested,” said Wainaina.
Locals called on the contractor to construct a proper drainage system on the road to curb massive flooding that the area experiences once it rains.
They also welcomed the road saying they have suffered enough from dust-related infections, from the huge trucks that frequent the area to transport building stones.
“Vehicles can hardly last a year before they are worn out. This is one of the worst roads in the County and we are happy that it will be tarmacked,” said Patrick Mwangi, a resident.
By Charles Muoki
