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Namibia road project commencing

Work is now underway in Namibia to upgrade key road links. One project will see improvement works to the B2 coastal road connecting Swakopmund with Walvis Bay. Another project is for the widening and resurfacing of the C28 link, which runs from Swakopmund to Namibia’s capital Windhoek and will be reclassified as Main Road 44 once the improvements are complete. In all the work is expected to cost over US$137 million, with a total of 100km of road due to be improved and upgraded over a three year period.
July 8, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Work is now underway in Namibia to upgrade key road links. One project will see improvement works to the B2 coastal road connecting Swakopmund with Walvis Bay. Another project is for the widening and resurfacing of the C28 link, which runs from Swakopmund to Namibia’s capital Windhoek and will be reclassified as Main Road 44 once the improvements are complete. In all the work is expected to cost over US$137 million, with a total of 100km of road due to be improved and upgraded over a three year period.

The work is needed to boost both capacity and safety. The existing B2 coastal road has a poor record for safety and has been nicknamed ‘the road of death’ in the country. The improvement works will see the route becoming a dual carriageway and will help address the high risk levels to users, while increasing capacity to match demand. Three new interchanges will be built, with one at the Swakopmund end and one close to Walvis Bay airport and a third providing a connection to mining areas.

The contractors involved are the Road Contractor Company and Chinese firm Zhong Mei Engineering Group. With the proximity of the Namib – Naukluft National Park, both the C28 and B2 roads now carry increasing volumes of traffic related to the country’s important tourist trade as well as heavy vehicles travelling to and from the mining sector.

The country is in the midst of improving several of its key road links, with work being carried out to upgrade the link from Windhoek to the international Hosea Kutako Airport. Improvements are also underway for the Swakopmund Hentiesbaai coastal road.

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