Nairobi-Nakuru Highway to receive intelligent traffic system in Ksh184 billion upgrade

Motorists using the Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit Highway will benefit from a smart traffic management system once the ongoing upgrade of the key Northern Corridor road is completed. The system is part of the engineering features planned for the approximately 175-kilometre highway.

According to a progress report by the Public-Private Partnerships Directorate, Intelligent Traffic Management Systems sit among the key features alongside modern tolling infrastructure, grade-separated interchanges, bypasses and enhanced road safety facilities.

The entire project has been listed at a combined cost of Ksh184 billion, or about 1.419 billion dollars, based on the two road sections covered. The Directorate describes the Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit Highway as Kenya’s largest public-private partnership highway currently under implementation.

It covers the Rironi-Nakuru-Mau Summit corridor. While the Directorate has not provided a detailed breakdown of the specific equipment to be installed, intelligent traffic systems are generally designed to use technology and real-time road information to improve traffic management.

The system could allow traffic managers to monitor vehicle movement and congestion along different sections of the highway and respond more quickly to incidents. It could also support real-time information for motorists through electronic message signs and other roadside systems.

Kenya’s transport sector has previously identified Intelligent Transportation Systems, electronic toll collection and traffic management systems as technologies that can improve road efficiency, safety and data-driven decision-making.

The planned system is expected to work alongside the highway’s modern tolling infrastructure. The highway will also feature climate-resilient drainage and pavement designs as well as enhanced pedestrian crossings and road safety facilities.

Construction of the highway is currently under way. The project is being implemented by China Road and Bridge Corporation and Shandong Hi-Speed Road and Bridge Group Company Limited under a 30-year Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer concession.

The Public-Private Partnerships Directorate has listed June 2027 as the target for completion and commencement of full operations. The technology component forms part of the government’s wider shift towards using digital systems to modernise Kenya’s road network.

The Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit Highway is expected to become a key technology-enabled section of the Northern Corridor linking the Port of Mombasa to western Kenya and neighbouring countries.