Jana-Mari Smith
16 May 2011
The final bill of fixing Namibia’s damaged national road network after the rainy season could top N$600 million.
Erkki Nghimtina, Minister of Works and Transport, last week said that the initial estimate of N$500 million has shot up to approximately N$600 million or more after this month’s heavy rains in the south and at the coast.
“It’s not a final figure. But we are estimating more than N$600 million will be required for damages. Not only potholes need to be fixed. Culverts and bridges have to be fixed. Some roads were totally washed away.”
The minister said the millions required to repair the national roadwork does not include the millions municipalities have to fork out to fix streets in towns and cities.
To date, several municipalities estimate that their annual budgets for road maintenance will be exceeded once the work of repairing roads and potholes begins.
Last week, the City of Windhoek said the cost of repairing the capital’s 750-kilometre road network will be roughly N$15 million.
Other towns could not yet confirm what the estimated cost will be, saying that they were waiting for the rainy season to end before assessing the damage.
Minister Nghimtina said in a press release last week that the condition of roads has been one of the biggest challenges for the Ministry, considering the “lengthy period of heavy rains and floods that we are still experiencing in most parts of our country”.
He said repairs will have to be done in a way that roads can withstand future floods.
The Roads Authority has begun repairs to roads deemed to be safety hazards and is working on a priority list for the rest.
The minister appealed to all road users to be patient, observe warning signs and refrain from using roads that are temporarily closed.
He said it is regrettable to note that some motorists are endangering their lives by not observing warning signs.
At the same time, he praised road users who have “taken personal responsibility for their own behaviour on our roads”.
AllAfrica – All the Time
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Road Damage Tops N$600 Million