Chinese company to undertake major road rehabilitation, widening project in Namibia's capital

WINDHOEK, July 26 (Xinhua) -- China Railway Seventh Group will soon commence a major rehabilitation and widening project on two roads including Auas Road in Windhoek, Namibia's capital, a key initiative in the Namibian government's drive to boost road safety and enhance transportation infrastructure.

The announcement was made during a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday in Windhoek by Namibia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works and Transport John Mutorwa, who said the Auas road had long been plagued by heavy traffic, congestion, and frequent accidents.

"Once this project is completed, road safety will undoubtedly be improved because of the dual carriageway and improved intersection layouts. Road users will also enjoy reduced congestion and a significant reduction in the likelihood of motor vehicle accidents," Mutorwa said. "The Dr. Hage Geingob stadium road will also be upgraded to bitumen standards."

Ma Linlin, general manager of China Railway Seventh Group Namibia Pty Ltd, told reporters that the total length of Auas Road is 5.6 km. The upgraded work is divided into two phases, with a planned construction period of 17 months.

Auas Road is one of the busiest main roads in Windhoek. Ma pledged that the company will work hard to overcome the impact on public transportation and environment during the construction, striving to complete the upgrade and reconstruction of the road with high quality and speed.

After the upgrade and renovation of Auas Road is completed, it will be a four-lane bidirectional road equipped with traffic lights and streetlights, as well as pedestrian-only sidewalks, which will greatly ease traffic pressure and improve road safety, she said, adding the construction activities will also create much-needed employment opportunities.

The project, which is entirely funded by the Namibian government through the Road Fund Administration, is estimated to cost around 138 million Namibian dollars (about 7.57 million U.S. dollars).