Gridlock Warning as KURA Shuts Key Section of Ngong Road for Two Weeks Ahead of AFCON Rush
Motorists using the busy Ngong Road corridor in Nairobi are set to face weeks of disruption after the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) announced the temporary night closure of a critical section near The Junction Mall to allow final works on the long-awaited flyover project.
In a notice issued on Sunday, May 17, KURA confirmed that a section of the Ngong Road/Naivasha Road junction will be partially closed every night from 8pm to 4am between Monday, May 18, and Sunday, May 31.
The authority said the closure is necessary to facilitate final asphalt works on the massive Ngong/Naivasha Road flyover, one of Nairobi’s most ambitious traffic decongestion projects.
“We wish to notify the general public that section of Ngong Road / Naivasha Road at the Junction Mall will be partially closed as from Monday, May 18 till Sunday May 31 both days inclusive,” KURA said in the notice.
“The closing will be carried from 8:00 PM to 4:00 AM. This is to allow the contractor to undertake the asphalt works as part of the final finishing works,” the authority added.
The development comes as the multibillion-shilling project edges closer to completion ahead of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations tournament preparations linked to the construction and accessibility of Talanta Stadium.
The project features an 800-metre flyover incorporating a 254-metre steel bridge structure designed to eliminate the notorious traffic bottleneck at the Junction Mall roundabout — an area infamous for daily congestion stretching toward Karen, Dagoretti and Ngong town.
The elevated dual carriageway, estimated to cost Ksh3.58 billion, is reportedly more than 90 per cent complete and is expected to significantly ease traffic flow along one of Nairobi’s busiest economic corridors once operational.
Ngong Road serves thousands of commuters every day and is a major transport artery linking Nairobi’s central business district to rapidly growing residential areas including Karen, Ngong and Rongai. The planned closure is therefore expected to trigger delays and diversions for motorists during the two-week construction period.
To minimise disruption, KURA advised drivers heading toward Karen and Ngong to divert through Hatheru Road, connect to Gitanga Road, then proceed via James Gichuru Road before rejoining Ngong Road at the Karen/Dagoretti corner bypass.
Motorists may also use Riara Road past Junction Mall to connect to King’ara Road and other feeder routes to bypass the main intersection.
Those travelling toward Karen were further encouraged to use Southern Bypass via Lang’ata Road as an alternative route to completely avoid the affected section.
“We urge motorists to use alternative routes and follow the guidance by traffic police and marshals,” KURA stated, adding that officers and traffic marshals will be deployed throughout the closure period to manage vehicle movement.
The latest shutdown follows a similar temporary closure announced by KURA in March to facilitate concreting works on the flyover deck, signalling that the project has now entered its final stages before commissioning.
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