Coastal roads in the spotlight

WALVIS Bay’s municipality has for the past few months been hard at work repairing roads at the town.

Road repairs have cost the municipality about N$360 000 since January this year.

A road contractor was appointed in December 2020, while three resealing contractors were appointed in March, which, according the municipality, will play an important role in protecting the underlying layers of roads.

Meanwhile, the town’s roads have been left in bad shape after heavy rains.

“The council has an annual contract for bitumen road repairs, and the current contractor has been undertaking all repairs to date, including ones due to the recent rains. With the extent of the damage from rain, however, the council will appoint two additional contractors for the short term to ensure as many damaged sections as possible are attended to. All repairs are done under the current budget. “We are stepping up on quality control, despite the present challenges,” says municipality spokesperson Anita Kaihiva.

She says other factors include the aging road infrastructure, which would require huge investments to undertake reconstruction.

She says the condition of roads worsened by abnormally heavy traffic experienced in recent years.

“The council is in the early stages of a road reconstruction programme, which will commence in the second half of the calendar year. It will be rolled out over the next three to five years, depending on funding,” Kaihiva says.

The roadworks project includes pothole repairs, the reconstruction and preservation of roads, and resealing.

“The application of the slurry seal will prevent the entry of water into the underlying layers, thereby prolonging the lifespan of the streets,” Kaihiva says.

Theo-Ben Gurirab Street was the first to be repaired in two places.

Some of the streets that were identified for full or partial reconstruction, include Ben Amadhila Road, Circumferential Road, Kovambo Nujoma Road, Rikumbi Kandanga Road and Union Street. A number of intersections at the town will be rebuilt with interlocks.

The newly constructed B2 intersection connecting to the recently opened Khomas Hochland Street is also part of the project.