Of late, there have been public concerns over the safety of the exit Chania River Bridge on your way to Murang’a County from Thika town.
When the Thika Superhighway was constructed between 2009 and November 2012, that part of the bridge was constructed as a pedestrian walk and to be used by cyclists.
However, in 2017, the then Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu Babayao constructed an exit route, hived from the edge of River Chania to ease traffic from the town centre through Haile Selassie road.
Since the old Chania Bridge near Blue Post Hotel is a one-way traffic, vehicles heading towards Murang’a side started exiting Haile Selassie Road through that small bridge that was initially not meant to be used by vehicles. This has remained the sole exit route for vehicles heading to Murang’a side.
With time, the floor of the bridge has started eroding and it is now in a very dilapidated state. The potholes on the edges of this bridge are so huge and proving to be a nightmare, especially for small vehicles, tuktuks and motorcycles. Motorists are now worried that it might cave in and collapse. Their fears are that it might collapse while a vehicle is crossing, thereby plunging it into the swollen Chania River, especially now that the river is flooded with rain water. This is a disaster in waiting.
Recently, the town CBD roads including Haile Selassie road were recarpeted under Kenya Urban Roads Authority - KURA, but leaving out that single part which is under Kenya National Highways Authority - KeNHA.
The public worry is that it is now getting so dangerous to use that part of the bridge. They are now calling on the concerned department to either repair it or expand the existing Chania Bridge to accommodate two-way traffic.
The other pedestrian and cyclist bridge near the Chania Falls is also in a very bad state. The guard rails were vandalized long time and any slight mistake will see someone fall into the river. That is another death trap.
People are now getting scared of using it to a point that they are competing with vehicles on the colonial Chania bridge, further risking loss of lives through accidents.
It is the high time the leadership of both Kiambu and Murang’a Counties advocated for a permanent solution to this problem before disaster strikes. It is never too late to correct the mess. We can stand up and be counted.
Негізгі бет CHANIA RIVER BRIDGE: Is this a disaster in waiting?
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