Civil Engineering September 2022 | Vol 30 No 8

Bay with Lusaka in Zambia and extending northwards to the DRC border – and the Trans-Kalahari Corridor, extending from Walvis Bay through to Windhoek and onwards to Gauteng in South Africa via Botswana. Freeway construction is something relatively new to Namibia because of its small population. However, the need for high-quality transport routes has been acknowledged in recent years to improve both national and international trade. VKE Namibia has been instrumental in helping Namibia’s Roads Authority reach its transportation goals with the design and supervision of major freeway projects. Since its establishment in 1958, VKE Namibia (part of the SMEC Group) has performed feasibility studies and designed and supervised the construction of over 2 000 km of roads to establish itself as one of the front-running civil engineering consultants in Namibia. Iconic projects include VKE’s ap- pointment as the consultant for a major portion of the Trans-Caprivi Highway Upgrade, completed in 2000. Through the design and construction of major roads in Namibia, VKE has trained a significant number of technical specialists both in-house and through their counterpart training programmes with the Road’s Authority and the Ministry of Works and Transport. Current major projects include the Windhoek to Hosea Kutako International Airport Freeway Upgrade (Phases 1 and 2 of 41 km freeway), the Windhoek to Okahandja Freeway (83 km) and the Swakopmund to Walvis Bay Freeway (50 km), each with its own technical and environmental challenges. On comple- tion, more than 80 bridges will have been constructed or reconstructed on these three projects, with approximately 150 km of new freeway established. WINDHOEK TO OKAHANDJA FREEWAY The Windhoek to Okahandja project commenced in 2014 and has been con- structed in four sections. Construction of the fourth section, consisting of 21 km of dual carriageway, began in 2019 and is at an advanced stage. The completion of this portion of freeway will have a significant impact on trade and industry in this area as the route serves both major freight transit and substantial commuter traffic with the rapid expansion of both Windhoek and Okahandja. SWAKOPMUND TO WALVIS BAY FREEWAY In the coastal region, the construction of the Swakopmund to Walvis Bay Freeway is scheduled for completion in 2025. The project was developed as the road behind the dunes, replacing the previous salt-gravel road constructed in the 1990s. The new freeway will improve safe transit between the major towns and the inter- national airport outside of Walvis Bay as well as the Port of Walvis Bay. This pro- ject was divided into two phases of which the 30 km dual carriageway of Phase 1, including two interchanges and two bridges over the Swakop River, was com- pleted in October 2020. The first portion of Phase 2 is currently under construction and includes two major interchanges and two road-over-rail bridges. The coast of Namibia presents several technical challenges in road and bridge Civil Engineering  September 2022 15 Above and below Construction of TR 9/1 from Windhoek to Hosea Kutako International Airport to Dual Carriageway Standards: Phase 2A