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The construction of a 42-kilometre modern superhighway linking Nairobi to the industrial town of Thika will reduce traffic in the capital city and facilitate transportation for commerce and agriculture, analysts say.

The highway was originally scheduled to be completed in March 2012, but construction was delayed by the removal and relocation of service lines and water pipes, APEC Managing Director Johnson Matu said at a news conference in April.

Work on the highway is now expected to be completed in June.

Even though the entire 27-billion-shilling ($320-million) highway is not yet open for public use, it has already affected the economy positively, according to Wesaya Maina, owner of Tadhmini Consulting, a firm that specialises in infrastructure development, governance and Kenya's Vision 2030 development goals.

"The unique thing about the Thika superhighway is the fact that it is the first major infrastructural development in of its kind in Kenya," Maina told Sabahi. "For reasons such as this, it has triggered a lot of excitement among both investors and ordinary citizens, a fact portrayed by the sudden rush to buy property and set up businesses in that area."

According to APEC Consortium Limited, the engineering firm consulting on the project, 90% of the project has been completed.

Construction was divided into three sections, and assigned to separate contractors, allowing the completed portions of the eight-lane highway to be opened for public use.

Construction on the project began in 2008, partly funded by a loan from the Chinese government, according to the Kenya National Highways Authority. The Ministry of Roads says it will use a toll station and a weighbridge to recover the highway's maintenance costs.

Maina said development along the highway has been driven by the emerging middle class who want to live in a quiet environment away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

"Besides land appreciation, the superhighway has also opened up the economic potential of the surrounding towns like Kiambu, Thika and Juja, where farmers can transport their products to Nairobi with relative ease," he said.

Tiberius Wesonga Barasa, public policy analyst and managing director of the Nairobi-based think-tank Centre for Policy Research, also pointed out the highway's benefit for farmers and consumers.

"Most people living around the regions that the road cuts through are farmers, and since most sections of the road have been opened, they are now able to bring their products to the Nairobi market with relative ease, unlike before when this would be delayed by traffic jams," Barasa told Sabahi.

Farmers save fuel and time, which translates into lower prices for consumers in Nairobi, he said.

"Things will be even better when the work is 100% complete, since the traffic will flow uninterrupted from Nairobi to Thika when all sections are open for use," he said.

According to estimates by the Kenya Bureau of Standards, 80,000 vehicles drive along the open portions of the superhighway daily, with that number expected to reach 200,000 when all sections of the road are operational.

Barasa said the completion of the highway will trigger new residential estates and businesses along the route. In turn, this will decongest the densely populated capital, as middle class residents will migrate to neighbourhoods outside the city.

The value of land has almost doubled in residential areas bordering the new highway, such as Kasarani, Thome, Roysambu and Githurai, as landowners seek to cash in on new property demands, Maina said.

Some business owners along the Thika superhighway say they are relieved the highway is nearing completion after experiencing constant disruptions since construction began.

"We were greatly affected, especially when the entrance to our premises was blocked, but since its opening things have improved slightly," said Mureithi Wokabi, who owns Homeland Inn, a restaurant and lounge located along the highway. "I am glad that after completion, the entire region from Nairobi to Thika will be transformed into one big mall, where demand for supply of entertainment services will definitely outweigh the supply."

Other transport projects in the planning stage or currently under way include the southern bypass projected to ease trade with Uganda and other central African countries, and the expansion of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, which will accommodate direct flights from Nairobi to North America.