Highways that connect Namibia with the world

Namibia is investing in strategic road upgrades that will serve as a catalyst for socio-economic growth. IMIESA speaks to Heiko Klink, MD of VKE Namibia, about the company’s involvement in strategic projects that include Phase I and II of the Windhoek to Hosea Kutako International Airport Freeway Upgrade and parallel infrastructure works.

Famous for its desert landscapes, Namibia’s land area covers some 823 290 km2 and shares borders with Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa.

This makes Namibia an important international road transit route, as well as in terms of sea and air connections via the Port of Walvis Bay and Hosea Kutako International Airport, situated some 40 km from Windhoek.

Since its establishment in 1958, VKE Namibia has performed feasibility studies and designed and supervised the construction of over 2 000 km of roads on behalf of the country’s Roads Authority. Iconic projects include VKE’s appointment as the consultant for a major portion of the Trans-Caprivi Highway Upgrade, completed in 2000.

An expansive network

Namibia’s current network comprises around 48 900 km, with national paved arterial routes covering some 8 035 km and interconnecting with all border points. Two of the key commercial transit routes are the Trans-Zambezi Corridor – connecting Walvis Bay with Lusaka in Zambia and extending up northwards to the DRC border – and the Trans-Kalahari Corridor, extending from Walvis Bay through to Windhoek and onwards to Gauteng in South Africa via Botswana.

Namibia remains at the forefront in the region in terms of delivering world-class road infrastructure, with the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2019 ranking the country as the best in Africa. Namibia scored 5 out of a possible 7 and was listed in 31st position out of 137 countries surveyed globally.

Driving this ranking is the Roads Authority of Namibia’s ongoing investment in support of the country’s Harambee Prosperity Plan II (2021 to 2025) and Vision 2030 objectives.

“We are working on a wide range of projects in Namibia, where one of the key features is the large number of river and interchange bridges that need to be constructed or upgraded. This is very exciting for our VKE team, especially our young engineers, who are gaining invaluable experience,” Klink states.

Current VKE projects include the Windhoek to Hosea Kutako International Airport Freeway Upgrade, as well as upgrades on the Windhoek to Okahandja freeway section (approximately 74 km), and Swakopmund to Walvis Bay (approximately 30 km) route. The Okahandja project is at an advanced stage of completion, with the Swakopmund to Walvis Bay freeway scheduled for completion in 2025.

In total, some 80 bridges will have been constructed or reconstructed on these three projects, with approximately 150 km of new freeway established.

Windhoek to Hosea Kutako International Airport

VKE Namibia was appointed by the Roads Authority in April 2014 for the initial detailed design, tender documentation and contract administration of the Windhoek to Hosea Kutako International Airport Freeway Upgrade.

The geometric and bridge designs were carried out by SMEC South Africa’s Transportation and Structures divisions in Cape Town, with VKE Namibia carrying out pavement design, drainage design, project management, contract administration and site supervision.

In December 2019, the scope of the project was increased (at a cost of N$104 million) with the addition of the Mandume ya Ndemufayo Interchange Bridge, together with 1.7 km of interchange ramps, 1 km of crossroads and an extension of 1 km of the freeway to the north. The final construction cost of this phase of the freeway amounted to N$950 million.

“The geometric design includes 9 km of freeway and 16 km of ramps and crossroads, as well as four interchanges of varying complexity,” Klink explains.

The road between Windhoek and the airport traverses flat to hilly terrain; the first phase alone required the construction of over 1.2 million m3 of cut-to-fill over a 10 km long section. Also included was the structural design and supervision of seven twin-spine post-tensioned bridges, three river bridges, two road-over-rail bridges and two voided slab bridges.

“Life-cycle costing was a foremost focus in the various pavement designs, taking into account future maintenance requirements. These routes have a cape seal at present, with the option of an asphalt overlay in future,” Klink continues.

Major milestones

VKE Namibia recently celebrated the opening of the Mandume Ya Ndemufayo Interchange – the final interchange forming part of Phase I of the Windhoek to Hosea Kutako International Airport Freeway Upgrade project. Running on the Windhoek Western Bypass, the interchange provides access to Windhoek eastward and feeds the major road to Sossusvlei westward.

Since its opening, the interchange has substantially improved traffic flow and reduced traffic congestion on the Western Bypass. Once the entire Western Bypass Freeway is complete, it is anticipated that there will be a significant reduction in longdistance traffic through Windhoek, with major cargo and passenger transport on the northsouth corridor having a free flow route around the city centre. Phase I is estimated to be completed by August 2022.

Phase II of the Windhoek to Hosea Kutako International Airport Freeway Upgrade is split into stages, namely IIA and IIB. Phase IIA is scheduled for completion in early 2024, and Phase IIB towards the end of September 2024, entailing the completion of the final dual-carriageway links to the east of the airport.

“It’s a real privilege to work on these Roads Authority projects. You can see how these developments are uplifting and empowering communities; as an engineer, there’s nothing more satisfying than to see this happen in practice,” Klink concludes.

New dual-carriageway river bridges connecting Windhoek with Okahandja