NAIROBI, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's construction sector executives on Wednesday urged the government to embrace the concept of green highways in order to promote environmental sustainability.

Benjamin Nyawade, chairperson of Engineers Chapter Representatives Council at Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK), told Xinhua in Nairobi that construction of green highways despite having high upfront costs is beneficial to the society in the long run.

"Green highways are ideal because they allow as much of the natural environment as possible to thrive alongside infrastructure projects and they also have capability to tap renewable energy," Nyawade said on the sidelines of the launch of the report dubbed Status of the Built Environment by AAK.

Nyawade said that green highways also promote environmental conservation and make people enjoy living in cities as they provide for recreational amenities such as parks.

He noted that elevated highways, though a popular mechanism to decongest cities, are not green transportation systems.

"The bridge piers that support the elevated highways tend to obstruct views such that not much green activity takes place underneath the structures," said Nyawade.

"So, underground transportation systems such as subways built under city streets are an alternative public transport system that has less impact on the environment," he added.

Nyawade said that a number of technologies are currently available to make highways reduce overall greenhouse emissions.