KEETMANSHOOP - China Henan International Company (Chico) on Thursday handed over the 80km stretch of the rehabilitated road between Gibeon and Tses on the B1 national road to the government three months ahead of its expected completion date.
//Kharas governor Aletha Frederick said the completed project is part of the government’s commitment of ensuring good road networks in the country.
“We, as residents of the region, are overwhelmed by the quality of work done by Chico. Some motorists even reported that one can now drive more conveniently on the road,” she added.
The road under construction runs from Gochas in the Hardap region, with projections that it will stretch up to Grὔnau in the //Kharas region.
“This project has furthermore changed the livelihoods of locals in that it provided them with jobs that brought financial betterment,” she noted.
Frederick expressed gratitude to Chico, all sub-contractors and the various stakeholders involved in the construction of the road.
“Allow me to use this opportunity to urge all road users to be vigilant and drive safely during the festive season in order to be united with their families, and also wishing them and all Namibians at large a merry Christmas and prosperous 2024,” she added.
In his contribution, project manager Hongbo Zhang said they started the project in January 2021, and officially handed it to government more than three months ahead of the expected completion date of February 2024.
“This was, however, only possible with the much-appreciated support from the government, employees and relevant stakeholders,” he added. Zhang said the road was constructed at a total cost of N$532 million, while 845 local residents were employed during the project.
Asked about his impressions on the new road, driver Ruben Posch, who was travelling to South Africa, said the 80km stretch was one of the most convenient roads he ever traversed.
“I further observed that it is now broad enough, even for heavy transport vehicles to access it without driving over the road shoulders, as was the case previously,” he noted.
He expressed hope that all Namibian roads which are in poor condition would be upgraded accordingly.
-sklukowski@nepc.com.na