The Minister of Works and Transport, Veikko Nekundi, officially opened the Aris River Bridge bypass road between Windhoek and Rehoboth.
The project saw a total investment of more than N$17 million. 

The bridge collapsed last year following heavy rains in the area, bringing traffic flow between the city and the southern regions to a halt.
Within 24 hours, an emergency bypass accommodating one-way traffic was completed.

However, due to high traffic volumes along this corridor and the economic impact of delays on logistics and commerce, a decision was taken to upgrade the bypass into a two-way lane route.

While the bypass solutions addressed the immediate crisis, the Roads Authority (RA) simultaneously initiated the process of permanent remedial works. 

"We are proud of the decisive and coordinated response demonstrated by the Roads Authority and all teams involved. It reflects our shared commitment to service delivery, resilience and the well-being of the Namibian people. The completion of this new structure within a relatively short period is a testament to what we can achieve through strong leadership and effective planning collaboration between the public and private sectors, RA Board Chairperson Martins Kambulu. 

The old bridge was demolished, as it was beyond repair, and the construction of a new bridge was entrusted to China Railway Seventh Group at a total contract value of more than N$30 million.

"This new bridge has not been designed in isolation. It has been deliberately designed and constructed as an integral component of the planned upgrade of Trunk Road 1/5 to a dual carriageway standard in the future. It will be fully incorporated into that future upgrade, ensuring long-term value, structural resilience, and alignment with Namibia's strategic road infrastructure development objectives," adds Nekundi. 

Nekundi further called for Namibian enterprises to be prioritised in tender allocations and urged them to take ownership of the country's infrastructure development.

"We must move fast to ensure that Namibian locally owned enterprises, meaning enterprises that are owned by Namibians, must take charge of road construction. No matter how complex they are, they must be able to take charge. The time has come, and you must change focus. Redesign your approach. It cannot be business as usual."

The swift completion of the road was made possible by China Railway Seventh Group with technical support from Lithon Project Consultants.