THE newly repaired 13,2- kilometre stretch of the Karasburg-Ariamsvlei B1 road was officially reopened on Friday.
Sections of the road were damaged by flash floods in February and reconstructed at a cost of N$15 million. Officiating at the road opening, Minister of Works and Transport, Erkki Nghimtina, revealed an amount N$35 million funded through Government’s Disaster Management Unit was made available of which N$25 million was allocated for the road and N$10 million for the railway that was also washed away by the flash floods. The minister indicated that a cost assessment of road damages across the country caused by 2010/2011 heavy rains carried out by Road Authority (RA) determined the total cost of restoration and upgrading damaged road network at N$658 million. ‘Given the importance of our road network to the economic development of our country, our ministry will approach Cabinet to mobilise funds for the permanent restoration and upgrading of our damaged road network,’ said Nghimtina. He hinted that Government made available an amount of N$100 million for the immediate restoration of accessibility of the flood damage roads. Nghimtina urged RA to fast track the repairing of potholes and sections of the damaged road network before the next rain season. ‘The damage to the road network has increased significant safety risk to the road users and has affected negatively the service delivery of the network to the population due to excessive potholes. I therefore, call upon the road users to comply with safety regulations and observe road signs for possible road damage and potholes,’ Nghimtina added. Also speaking at the event, RA Board chairperson, Hileni Kaifuna, revealed that RA spends annually more than N$600 million on road maintenance. ‘I can assure you that we are doing all we can with the resources at our disposal, in order to meet the road service needs of our country,’ Kaifuna said.
In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.
The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.
Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for
only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!
