The construction of the Windhoek to Hosea Kutako International Airport freeway, a project critical for Namibia’s infrastructure, is encountering delays, attributed to various challenges.
The entire road is now set to be opened either in November 2024 or January 2025.
The multi-phased project was initiated, with the first phase covering 10 kilometres (km), and it is fully funded by the Namibian government. Phase 2A commenced in 2019 and Phase 2B commenced in May 2021, with both phases facing hurdles that impacted their timelines.
During a site visit on Thursday, CEO of the Roads Authority Conrad Lutombi provided insights into the project’s current status.
He said Phase 2A, spanning 19.5km from Auasblick to the Dordabis interchange, funded by the African Development Bank, is at 78% completion.
“By February, the link to Sam Nujoma Drive should be ready, with the interchange from Finkenstein Estate to follow later,” he added.
The originally targeted completion date of November has been extended to July 2024 for Phase 2A.
Lutombi revealed that the contractor is injecting an additional US$3 million to compensate for low rates, leading to a situation where profitability for the contractor is compromised.
“The project is costing us about N$994 million – and so far, we are still within the budget. But unfortunately, what happened is that the contractor got it very wrong. So, now they have a serious problem with the cash flow,” he continued.
Turning attention to Phase 2B, spanning 21.5km from the Dordabis Interchange to the airport, and funded by a N$1 billion grant from the People’s Republic of China, Lutombi outlined challenges, including negotiations with landowners, water shortages and alignment issues with a NamPower line.
These challenges have contributed to a 50% production rate as of the current stage.
He underscored the commitment to utilising local labour, with 370 Namibians actively engaged on the site.
– Nampa