Eighteen dilapidated access roads in Walvis Bay will be rehabilitated , sealed , and repaired through an agreement between the town ‘ s municipality and the Roads Fund Administration ( RFA ). A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the project on Thursday . It will commence immediately and will be carried out in three phases over five years , addressing 18 streets in extremely poor condition at a cost of N . dollars 250 million . Namibian – owned companies Otesa Civil Engineering and Tulipamwe Consulting Engineers will handle the construction and oversee supervision , respectively . Speaking at the event , Deputy Minister of Works and Transport , Veikko Nekundi , emphasised the importance of maintaining and improving road infrastructure to accommodate the increasing volume of heavy commercial vehicles accessing the port of Walvis Bay . ‘ The excess demand on the structural and geometric requirements of some of the existing Walvis Bay streets , which are now old and dilapidated , has resulted in increased trav
elling times , pollution from traffic jams , and road safety risks ,’ he said . He further highlighted the critical role played by the port in regional trade , particularly with landlocked neighbouring countries such as Zambia and Botswana , which have established dry port facilities there . Nekundi warned that without immediate intervention , the deteriorating condition of these roads could divert commercial traffic to competing ports in Angola , South Africa , or Mozambique , undermining Namibia ‘ s strategic vision of becoming a regional trade hub as outlined in Vision 2030 . Once completed , the project will reduce congestion , improve road safety , and create approximately 120 temporary jobs for Namibians . Road Fund Administration ( RFA ) Chief Executive Officer , Ali Ipinge , stated that despite committing nearly N . dollars 250 million to the Walvis Bay road projects , there remains a shortage of funds to maintain all roads nationally . ‘ We require N . dollars 5 billion annually to effectively mainta
in national and urban roads , but at the moment we are only generating about N . dollars 3 . 5 billion of that , meaning there is a massive shortfall in this regard .’ The RFA has therefore emphasised the importance of user contributions to road maintenance and the economic benefits of well – maintained roads . Erongo Governor , Neville Andre Itope , noted that the initiative to rehabilitate the roads is not merely about infrastructure but also about the future of trade , connectivity and economic growth in the region .

Source: The Namibia News Agency