Namibia solidifies intent to be logistics gateway – Third and last section of the Windhoek to HKIA road gets off the ground
The Minister of Works and Transport, John Mutorwa on Monday took part in the official groundbreaking ceremony for the upgrading to dual carriageway standards of Phase 2B of the Windhoek to Hosea Kutako International Airport road.
The project which forms part of Namibia’s regional trunk routes includes the construction of the 21.3 kilometres of the dual-carriage freeway, three interchanges, two river bridges and drainage structures.
Phase 2B which is being funded by the Chinese government at a total amount of N$1,035 billion is the third and last section of the construction to dual carriage standards of the road and is expected to take 36 months to be complete, the minister said.
“Namibia is positioned as a gateway for imports and exports to and from landlocked neighbours in the SADC region and the Chinese government is assisting us with strides in expanding our road network to achieve the goals for transport as set out in Vision 2030,” he said.
According to Mutorwa, once the entire project is completed, it will bring the following benefits to motorists namely increases mobility, increased safety due to reduced incidences of head-on collisions as well as pedestrian/motor vehicle conflicts, poverty reduction through job creation, skills transfer and empowerment of local contractors and reduced vehicle operating costs.
The contractors of the project will be the Namibian registered, Chinese firm, Zhong Mei Engineering group, together with local subcontractors, while the consultant is VKE Namibia Consulting Engineers under the supervision of the Roads Authority. The project is set to approximately create 270 jobs as well as provide technological advancements through skills transfer.
Speaking on the same occasion, Charge d’Affaires at the Chinese Embassy in Namibia, Yang Jun, said, the support of construction of the Phase 2B project was proposed by the Namibian Government and was endorsed by the Chinese Embassy to help Namibia become a logistics hub in southern Africa.
“The project was officially confirmed and signed between our governments in Beijing on 29 March 2018,” he said, adding that on completion the project will surely improve the passage of transport and contribute to the development of Namibia at large.
Roads Authority Chief Executive Conrad Lutombi confirmed that the first phase of the project is set to be completed by July this year, while the second phase will follow in September 2023 and the final phase by September 2024.
The Minister of Works and Transport, John Mutorwa with officials of the Chinese Embassy at the official groundbreaking for the upgrading to dual carriageway standards of Phase 2B of the Windhoek to Hosea Kutako International Airport road project.
