By the end of 2026, the Mombasa-Mariakani motorway section will be entirely 4 lanes, with a junction for those arriving or going to Kilifi from Mariakani.
This was announced by the Kenya National Highway Authority (KENHA), which has included the entire project in the works to be financed with part of the 15.8 billion Kenyan shilling loan granted by the African Development Bank (AFDB).
As KENHA pointed out, the widening and modernization of the highway section, which is also the first section of the country's main artery, the Mombasa-Nairobi, concerns a crucial route for imports and exports and a fundamental part of the Northern Corridor, which connects the Kenyan port to landlocked countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The project consists of the duplication of a 41.7-kilometer section of the Mombasa-Mariakani highway with an increase in capacity from the current two-way carriageway to a four-lane carriageway with climbing lanes and service lanes in urban sections.
The project will also include the improvement of intersections along the affected road and the construction of non-motorized facilities, pedestrian walkways, an enhanced urban drainage system, truck parking lots, and weighbridges for axle load control.
Meanwhile, work on the Mariakani interchange has been underway for about a year, with both projects expected to be completed by the end of next year.
Once completed, the road is expected to improve accessibility and connectivity between Kenya and the rest of East and Central Africa, reducing travel times and operating costs for vehicles along the northern corridor.