Kenyans will pay more to use the new Expressway covering a stretch of 26 kilometers from Jomo Kenyatta Airport to Westlands with an extension on both sides, after the rates were adjusted up by 16 per cent in what is attributed to the dollar exchange.
The modern road was put up at the cost of Sh88 billion and has 11 interchanges at Mlolongo, Standard Gauge Railway, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Eastern Bypass, Southern Bypass, Capital Centre, Haile Selassie Avenue, Museum Hill, Westlands and James Gichuru Road.
The expressway, with 18.2km on the ground and 8.9km elevated, is a class A, four-lane dual carriageway with a design speed of 80km per hour. In a new gazette notice, the Ministry of Transport announced an increase of the toll rates to reflect foreign exchange changes for the dollar-denominated charges following the weakening of the Kenyan Shilling.
It means motorists will have to pay up to up to Sh360 to use the road from Mlolongo through JKIA to Westlands in what has angered many Kenyans.
The toll Expressway put up by the Chinese road contractors is aimed at decongesting the busy Mombasa road to a couple of minutes from more than an hour during peak time.
Under the new charges will cost Sh360 from Westlands to JKIA and mlolongo, Sh240 to Eastern Bypass, Sh180 to Southern Bypass and Capital Centre and sh 120 to Museum Hill and Haile Selassie, and from James Gichuru to JKIA and Eastern bypass motorists will pay Sh260, Sh240 to Southern bypass, Sh180 to Capital Centre and Haile Selassie Avenue and Sh120 to museum Hill.
Guidelines on the usage of the Expressway show that light vehicles with two axles are expected to pay the same rates as saloon cars (base toll rates) while heavy vehicles with four or more axles will pay five times the base toll rates. Trailer will pay Kshs 1,800 from Mlolongo to Westlands.