Southern Bypass coming soon

The Roads Authority (RA) has finalised a feasibility study and appointed a consultant to do a detailed design that will see the construction of a dual carriageway from Windhoek to Hosea Kutako International Airport, to be known as the Southern Bypass. In an interview with Namibian Sun this week, RA Corporate Communications Manager Hileni Fillemon said the construction of Trunk Road 9/1 will start at the road going toward the Kupferberg Pass and will continue eastward between the Windhoek Country Club and Prosperita, toward the Rehoboth traffic circle. “From the Rehoboth traffic circle, the Trunk Road 9/1 dual carriageway will keep running eastward as a new road passing Olympia, until it reaches the future extension of Sam Nujoma Drive south of Avis. The new road will follow an alignment parallel to the existing airport road, Trunk Road 1/6, at varying distances of in between 1.5 kilometres and a few hundred metres up to Hosea Kutako International Airport,” said Fillemon. She said once this project is completed, the benefits will be a reduction in pedestrian and vehicle conflict, and increased safety. Fillemon added that the road will be an ideal candidate for the deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) in the future, which may include Traveller Information Systems (TIS) to enable motorists to make informed choices while in transit. “This system, when linked to the Airport Information System, will enable motorists to view departures and arrivals whilst in transit and thus reduce fatigue due to anxiety and stress, hence reducing the chances of collisions,” she said. Fillemon added that the existing road will be de-proclaimed, but will be maintained as an alternative route to Hosea Kutako International Airport. She said the commencement of the construction of the Southern Bypass will be announced once the RA has secured funds for the project. Work on Western Bypass Meanwhile, work on the upgrading of the Windhoek-Okahandja road to a dual carriageway, which started in December last year, is well on track, said Fillemon. She said the work will include the construction of pedestrian bridges on the section of the road known as the Western Bypass, where many accidents have occurred over the years. Fillemon said the project has been subdivided into four sections, which will be constructed in phases over the next six years. “In section one, a second carriageway will be added between Auas Road and Sam Nujoma Drive, while section two will see the current dual carriageway from Sam Nujoma Drive to Brakwater rehabilitated. Section three will see the construction of an additional carriageway from the end of the existing dual carriage to the Dobra River bridge and two more interchanges will be constructed, as well as two new bridges at Dobra River,” said Fillemon. During section four, construction will continue on the freeway all the way to Okahandja, where a new Western Bypass will link that town with Otjiwarongo and Karibib. A new bridge over the Swakop River will be constructed and a number of smaller bridges along the existing alignment will be repaired. She said the construction of section three has commenced at a total cost of N$239 million for the first three sections The costs for the other sections will be known once the tender process is completed. Benefits of project Asked about the benefits of the project, Fillemon said Namibia is positioned as a gateway for imports and exports to and from its landlocked neighbours in the SADC region, such as Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The upgrading of this road will therefore facilitate commercial trade throughout the country and the SADC region, specifically seen in the context of the upgraded harbour at Walvis Bay. She said once completed, the project will also improve road safety significantly. The RA is responsible for the overall management of the project and the consulting engineer is VKE Namibia Consulting Engineers, while Aveng-Grinaker LTA was appointed as the contractor.