Niël Terblanché
The construction of the dual carriage main road between Windhoek and Okahandja will be completed in May next year.
The construction of the modern high-capacity road, which started in 2016, was supposed to be completed by July 2020, but budgetary constraints delayed the process by almost four years.
Conrad Lutombi, the Chief Executive Officer of the Roads Authority, gave the assurance that the last stretch of 21 kilometres of the road will be completed in 2024 after sufficient budgetary provision has been made for the project. Other projects currently being completed are the dual carriage highway behind the dune belt between Walvis Bay and Swakopmund, the road to the Hosea Kutako International Airport, and the Swakop River Bridge.
“The initial sections of the road between Windhoek and Okahandja were built at a cost of N$800 million,” he said.
The infrastructure projects are aimed at decongesting Namibia’s roads and are ultimately aimed at improving the lives of all Namibians because of the easy flow of goods between the major economic centres of the country.
Lutombi said that the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic along with budgetary constraints played a major role in the delay of the important construction projects but added that he is happy with the progress of the various projects.
“The budget for the projects has been improved and we are working very hard to make sure that work will continue without further delays,” Lutombi said.
Budgetary constraints resulting in the non-payment of contractors have led to delays in the construction of the last stretch of the highway.
Lutombi explained that the construction of the last 21-kilometre stretch of road will only be completed early next year.
According to Lutombi, the projects which are fully funded by the Namibian government face some challenges, such as the long distances for transporting building materials, the relocation of power lines, and negotiations with and relocation of people residing in close proximity to the projects currently under construction.
