The African Development Bank has approved a $120 million (Sh10.3 billion) financing for the upgrade of Nairobi’s Outer Ring road.

The project, which will start next year, involves the improvement of the single carriageway road to a two-lane dual carriageway complete with service roads, grade-separated intersections, pedestrians–foot-over bridges, walkways and cycle tracks over its entire length.

Once complete, the travel time to the city centre will be expected to reduce from 45 to 15 minutes.

“The 13-kilometre road project on completion is expected to directly enhance the traffic flow and eliminate traffic bottlenecks to various economic activity centres such as the industrial zone and the vast populous residential areas of Eastlands,” an AfDB statement said.

AfDB regional director for Eastern Africa Gabriel Negatu said the financing is a mix of a grant (Sh430 million) and loan (Sh9.9 billion) from the Africa Development Fund.

The government will be the counterpart financier of the project whose total cost is Sh11.2 billion ($130million).

The road traverses Nairobi’s East and North districts serving an estimated population of at least 2.2 million.This represents 70 per cent of the Nairobi county population.

Other beneficiaries include users of major city connecting roads on the Nairobi-Thika highway, Eastern bypass, Northern bypass, Mombasa Road and the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Other complementary civil work elements include 250 market stalls and associated sanitary facilities, planting of 4,500 trees along the corridor, children’s traffic safety park and three wellness centres for HIV-Aids and related illnesses.

Negatu said the key outcomes of the project will include improved property values arising from reduced congestion and improved business environment for informal traders owing to access to new market facilities and improved sanitation.

AfDB previously financed the construction of the 50km Thika Superhighway jointly with the Republic of China and Kenyan government.

The Outer Ring project brings to 63 the kilometres of roads financed by the bank within the Nairobi metropolitan.