A2 | Thika Road | Nairobi-Thika

[ernestombayo7]

Originally Posted by Kenguy

No one is allowed to use them yet. They aren't complete. I heard they are supposed to be covered up in plexiglass sheets which they have started to put over some stairs. Until then, pedestrians have to make that risky dash across the highway.

Really?that's great.that would be a first for Kenya.

[tallglassy]

image hosted on flickr

[JARIBU]

Dhuks,
You are spot on on the oversight in incorporating footbridges along the Thika road. In densely populated areas those bridges should be at much closer intervals for them to be effective. I cannot imagine most people willing to walk miles just to get across the street. That same oversight is replicated all over the country when the relevant authorities know well that we are a walking/cycling nation. Motorists are forced to share limited space with pedestrians, cylists and even livestock. It should be mandatory that every new road should have lanes designated for the aforementioned users.

Originally Posted by Dhuks

Its that mindset that is making us sink into this problem in the first place. In my earlier post i said nobody gave a hoot as to how pedestrians will cross the road; this is a walking nation don't compare with U.K and to design a 40+ km of road with only 18 footbridges was a big big oversight. Add to the design of entries and exits and you are headed for disaster. Look @1.39 in that video.
Even before drivers and pedestrians come to the fore, the road is still bad as designed.

pssst.... that ntv figure seems inflated.This tells of a different figure in three years



And this one still


http://allafrica.com/stories/201205140327.html

[Dhuks]

Originally Posted by tallglassy

image hosted on flickr

This is one stretch where they could have done better

[SE9]

Originally Posted by Dhuks

Its that mindset that is making us sink into this problem in the first place. In my earlier post i said nobody gave a hoot as to how pedestrians will cross the road; this is a walking nation don't compare with U.K and to design a 40+ km of road with only 18 footbridges was a big big oversight. Add to the design of entries and exits and you are headed for disaster. Look @1.39 in that video.
Even before drivers and pedestrians come to the fore, the road is still bad as designed.

So saying "pedestrians are banned from the highway" is the wrong mindset to have? What's the correct one.. that "pedestrians are allowed on the highway"?! I stand by my original point; in south-east Asia you won't find pedestrians on the motorway, despite their societies being rooted in pedestrianism.

You're right about the ridiculous entries and exits. As I've said before, the Chinese haven't built Thika Road to the same standard as their motorways in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou etc.

[Kenguy]

Originally Posted by JARIBU

It should be mandatory that every new road should have lanes designated for the aforementioned users.

Thika road does have lanes and paths to accomodate everyone. Now its all about enforcement of rules to use the road well.

[DAKTA]

Has any one noticed this?
The transition between the 3 lots is not a smooth one. Example, when you drive, especially a long chase car, across where lot 1 end and lot 2 begins at Muthaiga, you feel like the car has hit a dent and then a long bump. This means that someone messed up with verticle alignment of that section. On the other had, if you look keenly on the left hand side of the photo posted above, you will realize that the service lane has a gross dent as you move from Lot 3 to Lot 2 and vice versa. Further more, I remember during the initial stages of construction of this section, there was gross horizontal misalignment on the same section.

[City Kanjo]

Originally Posted by JARIBU

Dhuks,
You are spot on on the oversight in incorporating footbridges along the Thika road. In densely populated areas those bridges should be at much closer intervals for them to be effective. I cannot imagine most people willing to walk miles just to get across the street. That same oversight is replicated all over the country when the relevant authorities know well that we are a walking/cycling nation. Motorists are forced to share limited space with pedestrians, cylists and even livestock. It should be mandatory that every new road should have lanes designated for the aforementioned users.

Evidently from that video, it goes without saying that not matter how close you build the bridges most Kenyans will never use them. They always want a short cut. Look at the multitude from that video crossing the road illigally at Kenyatta University yet the bridge is just less that 10 meters away. Asiyefunzwa na askari (or highway authority for that matter) atafunzwa na thika road. But I pitty the innocent pedestrian and passenger who find their fate in the hands of reckless drivers

[Adm.Adama]

Even though the road might have some flaws its still a very wonderful piece of infrastructure. All flaws will be fixed in the future reminds me of the big dig that happened in boston when a massive road project was built to decongest boston but the road had major flaws because they messed up the tunnels and some of the service roads they built causing the state of Massachusetts more money to repair the flawed tunnel and roads.

[Dhuks]

Originally Posted by SE9

So saying "pedestrians are banned from the highway" is the wrong mindset to have? What's the correct one.. that "pedestrians are allowed on the highway"?! I stand by my original point; in south-east Asia you won't find pedestrians on the motorway, despite their societies being rooted in pedestrianism.

You're right about the ridiculous entries and exits. As I've said before, the Chinese haven't built Thika Road to the same standard as their motorways in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou etc.

It's the notion that pedestrians do not belong there while there is no better alternative for crisscrossing the highway. Is there any reason viable why pedestrian bridges had to be the last in the project? Come to Think of it, a resident of Mathare will always walk home whether Thika road is two or ten lanes; how convenient is it to cross from muthaiga end to mathare end?

[JARIBU]

Thika may be the exception. Most, if not all, new roads have no such features.

Originally Posted by Kenguy

Thika road does have lanes and paths to accomodate everyone. Now its all about enforcement of rules to use the road well.

[JARIBU]

The information from other posters is that the foot bridge in the video is still not usable pending completion. However, I am congizant of the fact that on some other roads people have ignored these bridges, with the usual complaint that most are filthy.

Originally Posted by City Kanjo

Evidently from that video, it goes without saying that not matter how close you build the bridges most Kenyans will never use them. They always want a short cut. Look at the multitude from that video crossing the road illigally at Kenyatta University yet the bridge is just less that 10 meters away. Asiyefunzwa na askari (or highway authority for that matter) atafunzwa na thika road. But I pitty the innocent pedestrian and passenger who find their fate in the hands of reckless drivers

[donddon]

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Cabinet...z/-/index.html

This is what will wake people up. Walking nation or not!! NKT

[Adm.Adama]

good step in the right direction.... But all traffic cops must be sacked for more efficient systems like modern traffic lights, electronic cross walks, speed cameras etc...Traffic police should be converted to highway police where their sole jobs is to catch speeders ad other offenders committing crimes on the highway.

Btw in the county governments will the state police be separate from local police or will be one big integrated system

All kenyan drivers should buy and read this book http://www.amazon.com/Traffic-Drive-.../dp/0307264785

[JARIBU]

I doubt that it will wake many people up if enforcement remains lax. I think it's a good bribe motivator given the kind of cops we have. Michuki was able to get a lot done with less punitive laws, which simply goes to show that in Kenya it's not really the law that matters, but who enforces it and how it's enforced.

Originally Posted by donddon

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Cabinet...z/-/index.html

This is what will wake people up. Walking nation or not!! NKT

[Adm.Adama]

We need something like this again http://youtu.be/-N8P0aZRAi8 i loved this video very informative,catchy tune and showed how kenyans should react if put in a dangerous situation. i would love to see this one remade for this century to teach people how to drive on the road

[DAKTA]

Are the speed bumps installed yesterday (17.05.2012) near muthaiga going to remain there coz I saw today they are causing a slight jam. We can't build a highway to eliminate jams and then install furniture to create jams.

[DAKTA]

There are two local companies that also need some recognition for the superb paint job they are doing in Thika road

1. Shell (S) Chemicals East africa Limited


2. Jovima Limited

[DAKTA]

awesome rainy morning drive, at Pangani

[DAKTA]