Staff Reporter
THE Windhoek-Okahandja dual carriageway has been officially opened and reclassified from B1 to A1, in accordance with road classification standards.
This milestone follows years of upgrades by the Namibian Government and the Road Authority Fund at a cost of N$2.8 billion.
President Nangolo Mbumba highlighted the opening of the road as a testament to the government’s commitment to developing Namibia’s road infrastructure to support economic growth and ease mobility
“The Windhoek-Okahandja dual carriageway serves as an important link that enhances transportation efficiency, reduces travel time, and improves road safety for commuters and travellers,” the president added.
He explained that, in addition to the 4,000 cars using the road daily, it is also heavily used by truckers as part of the east-west Trans Kalahari Highway and the north-south Windhoek-Luanda transport corridor. As a result, he said, the route frequently suffered from congestion during peak hours due to its limited capacity.
“I still recall the long queues of traffic to and from Windhoek during peak hours and especially during holiday seasons. It took the foresight of people, especially our former President Dr. Hifikepunye Pohamba, under whom this project was started, and our late President Dr. Hage G. Geingob, who took over from President Pohamba and continued in the midst of financial and economic challenges to see the project through,” President Mbumba said.
He emphasised that the Windhoek-Okahandja dual carriageway will now enable safe and rapid transport turnaround times to and from the capital city and the rest of the country.
“Also, being centrally located as a conduit to the Trans-Kalahari, Trans-Caprivi, Trans-Cunene, and Trans-Oranje corridors, the dual carriageway further strengthens Namibia’s position as a Gateway for landlocked SADC countries to efficiently and effectively move cargoes through the Port of Walvis Bay,” the president added.
