KURA Issues Notice After Kenyans Question the State of Ngong–Suswa Road

KeRRA Issues Notice After Kenyans Question the State of Ngong–Suswa Road

The Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) has blamed overloaded trucks for the rapid deterioration of the Ngong-Suswa Road, saying the highway is undergoing phased maintenance as the agency steps up enforcement against motorists flouting axle load regulations.

In a public notice issued on Thursday, July 8th, the Authority responded to concerns from members of the public over the road’s condition, stating that repair works are ongoing to address pavement distress and improve safety for motorists.

“Ngong-Suswa is currently undergoing maintenance in phases to address existing pavement distress caused by overloading and to improve safety for our road users,” KeRRA said.

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KeRRA Takes Action on Ngong-Suswa Road Deterioration

KeRRA said the Ngong–Suswa Road has been in use for the last eight years and was first constructed in December 2015.

It revealed that engineers designed the road to withstand an axle load of up to 10 tonnes per axle. However, trucks carrying loads of up to 50 tonnes have been using the road, causing it to deteriorate much faster.

According to the authority, the damage is most visible on the lane heading towards Suswa, where a high volume of heavy commercial vehicles has placed excessive pressure on the road surface.

To prevent further deterioration, the authority established the Ngong–Suswa–Ewaso Kedong Virtual Weighbridge to detect overloaded vehicles and enforce the maximum permissible axle load under the Traffic Act.

Offenders not complying have been arrested and charged. The Authority is continuously improving the road to meet high traffic usage.

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Road Maintenance and Load Limits

KeRRA said it is regularly upgrading the road to accommodate increasing traffic volumes while maintaining its status as part of the national transport corridor.

The agency called on transporters and motorists to adhere to the specified load limits for axle load to prevent further deterioration of the road.