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This project is part of our Government’s effort to deliver road infrastructure and provide connectivity to the people of Namibia, especially in rural areas. This particular project was initiated with the aim to provide all weather linkage to the communities living in the floodplains of the Zambezi River to Katima Mulilo. In addition, the road will also provide easy access to schools, health facilities and other essential services.
The project involves construction and upgrading to bitumen standard of approximately 53kilometers (km) of district road (DR) from Namalubi to Luhonono village and 2km access road to the Kalimbeza Rice Farm.
This project is divided into two sections:
Section 1: The construction of this section of approximately 21km covers the road from the connection point of Namalubi to the Katima – Ngoma road up to Isize village in the Kabbe North Constituency. This section has been fully surfaced and was completed in 2019 and is open to traffic. Construction works included a 2km access road to Kalimbeza Rice Farm, which has since been completed.
Section 2: This section continues from Isize Village and ends at Luhonono Village and it is about 32km long. Section 2 is at 80% completion and the anticipated completion date is July 2021.
The road at Namalubi connects to Trunk Road 8/7 between Katima Mulilo and Ngoma while the road at Luhonono connects to DR3572 between the villages of Sifuha and Bukalo. DR3572 between Sifuha and Bukalo was also constructed to gravel standard through this contract in order to reduce the haulage distance of bringing materials to DR3508 from Muyako and Katima Mulilo.
This road is being constructed over the Zambezi river flood plain. Hence, extensive culverting and high fills were necessary to avoid overtopping and impeding the flow of water southwards from the Zambezi River towards the Chobe River.
The Project Consultant is WML Consulting Engineers and the Contractor is Nexus Civils (Pty) Ltd in partnership with thirteen (13) SME Contractors who will be doing the culvert works. Three (3) of the SME Contractors are from the Zambezi Region. Several other SME Contractors are also contracted for services such as hauling of gravel materials.
A total of 183 workers are employed on the project, while the 13 SME’s employ about 10 people each, bringing the total estimated number of people employed on the project to 313.
During the construction of this project, the RA undertook various social responsibility initiatives such as the construction of hostel blocks at Isize Combined School in the Kabbe North Constituency valued at N$600 000 and the removal of rubbish alongside the Choto compound in Katima Mulilo, as part of our cleanup campaign initiative.