Northern roads finally opened

Northern roads finally openedAbandoned projects completed by others One gravel and one tarred road in the Omusati Region, which were supposed to be completed in 2014 and 2015, were finally inaugurated this week. ILENI NANDJATO



Two long overdue roads in the Omusati Region have finally been opened.

On Monday, works and transport minister Alpheus !Naruseb inaugurated the 95km gravel road between Amwaanda and Omutambo-wOmawe, which was supposed to have been completed in October 2015, and the 16km tarred road between Onamukutu (Olwani) and Oshikuku, which was supposed to have been completed in August 2014.

The Roads Authority (RA) awarded the N$118 million construction tender for the Amwaanda-Omutambo wOmawe road to Ongombe Safaris and Logistics. The work was supposed to have been done between May 2014 and October 2015.

The company started at Amwaanda in 2014, but was interrupted by local people demanding compensation because the road would cut through their mahangu fields.

The situation could not be resolved in time and the contractor gave up the work.

At the beginning of this year, the RA appointed Brandberg Construction to complete the work.

The N$60 million tender for tarring the road from Onamutuku to Oshikuku was awarded to Onamagongwa Trading Enterprise in partnership with Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) contractor Iinongo Trading Enterprise.

They were supposed to do the work between August 2013 and August 2014, but abandoned the project in January 2014.

“I am honoured today to open the long-awaited Oshikuku-Onamatuku road. I am aware that the completion date of this project was extended due to a few challenges that were experienced during the construction period. However, I am very happy to note that RA managed to assist the SME contractor to overcome the difficulties and complete the project,” !Naruseb said.

The Oshikuku-Onamatuku road connects the Elim clinic and Oshikuku hospital to the Outapi-Oshakati main road to the north and the Oshakati-Okahao main road to the south.

The Amwaanda-Omutambo-wOmawe gravel road provides an improved link for the Onamatanga community to Okahao to access essential services such as schools and a hospital.

Both roads were fully funded by the government.