The Roads Authority (RA) has abandoned plans for a double-lane B1 highway between Oshivelo and Oshakati, opting for a bypass due to extensive roadside building encroachment.
The proposal to create the double-lane road was initially announced in 2016 to help ease congestion on this stretch of road.
RA spokesperson Hileni Fillemon says the plan had to be adapted, because buildings had been built within 100m of the road.
This, she says, makes the expansion unfeasible, particularly at towns such as Omuthiya, Ondangwa, and Oniipa stretching to Oshakati.
“This restriction does not apply to structures erected in urban areas or approved townships that existed before the commencement of the ordinance of 1960.
“The same section also gives the RA the power to approve the erection of structures within 100m of the centre line of a trunk, main, or building restriction road,” she says.
Fillemon says it has adopted a preventative and collaborative approach to manage the construction of buildings within proclaimed road reserves.
She says letters were sent to various local authorities and regional councils in 2024, in which the RA explained the importance of early engagement regarding planned developments along proclaimed road reserves.
The RA also notified residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, and infrastructure projects about the impact road construction would have on the national road network, she says.
Fillemon says the RA will appoint a land surveyor during the 2026/27 financial year to conduct a topographical survey along selected sections of the national road network.
The objective of this exercise is to accurately confirm the extent of encroachment into the proclaimed road reserve.
“Upon completion of the surveys, the RA will consider a range of remedial options, including the possible reduction of the road reserve width in affected urban areas.
“Additional measures may include the removal of certain encroachments, the introduction of revised planning controls, and the amendment of title deed conditions to reflect any adjustments to reserve boundaries,” she says.
The designs for the project have been completed for the road starting south of Onethindi and ending west of Oshakati, she says.
“The bypass route has been proclaimed and is aimed at diverting traffic away from densely developed urban centres.
Fillemon says the detailed construction cost estimates still need to be finalised.
Financing will be sourced from one or a combination of treasury allocations, road user charges, grants or loans, or other alternative funding sources.
The road will pass mainly through the Ondonga Traditional Authority jurisdiction, where many cuca shops and households have been built along the road, Fillemon says.
Ondonga Traditional Authority secretary Frans Enkali says the RA should take responsibility for failing to educate local communities on the 100m rule.
He believes the bypass project will boost business development.
“The current B1 road is always heavily busy.
One has to spend about an hour in traffic from Onethindi to Ondangwa,” he says.
Oshikoto governor Sacky Kathindi says he has not participated in any discussion regarding the construction of the new road.
“If the project comes my way, I am more than willing to sit at the table for it, as the current B1 road in Oshikoto is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate – especially during the festive season,” he says.
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