As a frequent user of this road, I have tried to analyze and figure out where the purported potholes causing this mayhem are but I can’t trace them.
Before Southern Bypass came along, there was a U-Turn on Mombasa road for traffic coming from town inorder to help them turn back and enter South C, probably via Bellevue exit.
Same applied to motorists coming from Mulolongo towards town, a U-Turn also to enable them maybe turn back or enter industrial area probably through GM exit.
There are accelerating lanes for both U-Turns with some rough stretch of about ten or so meters dividing the two U-Turns. If you’ve ever been caught on Mombasa road traffic jam outbound, then you’ll notice that Matatus like overlapping via this two accelerating lanes. First on the accelerating lane making the old U-Turn back to town, they slightly slow down on the rough stretch, then join the second accelerating lane making the next U-Turn previously meant for the inbound traffic that wanted to turn back towards GM.
Both the U-Turns were closed and motorists adviced to use the Southern Bypass interchange. But the acceleration lanes were left intact.
I thus blame the motorists coming from town for using these acceleration lanes as a way of overlapping thus avoiding traffic jam. For those who don’t know about the rough stretch between the two acceleration lanes always end up doing unthinkable.
Imagine driving at the speed of 80kph and the tarmac breaks abruptly to a rough big potholed stretch!!
… unataka kukimbia na hauna breki, what do you exoecti.
I don’t understand what’s to be repaired there. It’s technically just fixing the rough potholed small stretch thus joining the two acceleration lanes which lead to nowhere. This just gives a smooth ride to overlapers from the first acceleration lane to the other.
And why should the stretch be made smooth for overlappers?
The solution should be to completely block off the acceleration/deceleration lanes if they are no longer in use.
On Kenyan roads I have learned one thing: I am right you are wrong mentality does not save lives. It is important when driving, one does so defensively and give other road users opportunity to correct their mistakes.
The clips showed cars moving at a high speed with other lanes available for use outside the decelerating lane. The major flaws in this section IMO were:
Lack of markings on the road - unless you are a regular user of that road, you could easily hit a groundie thinking the now defunct deceleration lane is the outer most lane because that section of the road curves. Acceleration and deceleration lanes appear and dissappear suddenly on M-Road and pose a challenge to road users at night.
Limited lighting in that stretch either due to street lights being in the road landscape area with trees blocking visibility making the abrupt end of the road barely visible at night.
The solution of merging the acceleating an decelerating lanes is a simple and cheaper temporary solution as it will give clueless motorists a chance to correct their mistake. And of course a longer overlapping lane whenever there is a traffic jam.
Traffic jams on Mombasa Road are a daily fixture, from Airtel to Nyayo Stadium in the morning and from Capital Center to Cabanas in the evening. It’s always a nightmare in the sections where overlapping is possible.
Assumptions are made here that all the drivers know that these U Turns were blocked. No signs on the road state otherwise. So, if a driver hasn’t been on Mombasa Rd for a while, they’ll attempt to use the U turns. And that’s where the problems start.
Pardon me good lady but your explanation is flawed. First, why have an acceleration lane then a u- turn. Most probably you meant a deceleration lane. Secondly, there is no way the ninja was overlapping on an open road. The road just ain’t marked, period.
Thirdly, there are no signs indicating the closures. How would one know? In brief, are you apologising for the authorities?
Its nothing but reckless driving for non frequent Mombasa road users.
If you are not familiar with a section of the road why the fvck are you over speeding?