Etosha: Three road graders for one gravel road

The high season takes its toll. In Etosha National Park [https://gondwana-collection.com/en/the-etosha-experience] complaints about the poor condition of the gravel roads are increasing. The Ministry of Tourism has now announced the dispatch of three road graders.

According to the ministry's press release, they will be deployed on the road from Okaukuejo via Halali to Namutoni. This is the main axis along the southern edge of the Etosha Pan from the center of the park to the east. The route from Namutoni to King Nehale Gate in the north-east will also be graded.

According to the ministry, the condition of the roads should improve noticeably within the next two weeks. At the same time, it advises park visitors to drive on side roads that run further south and are in better condition.

The immediate measure and the press release were triggered by alarming protests from the travel industry. Several companies complained that their vehicles suffered severe damage on the poor gravel roads. Some no longer drove through the park, but instead booked excursions for their guests from the lodges and camps.

Main routes to be tarred in the long term

It was only in August that the Ministry of Tourism purchased its road grader for the maintenance of the gravel roads (see report on Namibian.org [https://namibian.org/news/tourism/etosha-own-road-grader-vehicle-purchased-for-gravel-roads]). In the meantime, the gravel surface of the roads seems to be so thin that grading no longer has any lasting effect.

The gravel roads do not cope anymore with the growing volume of traffic. This is also evident on the access routes to Sossusvlei [https://gondwana-collection.com/en/the-namib-experience], the main attraction in the southern center of Namibia. There has been a strong trend towards self-drive holidays, and not just since the coronavirus crisis. Bus tours, on the other hand, are less and less in demand.

For this reason, there have been discussions for some time about tarring the roads on the main routes in Etosha National Park. "As a long-term solution, the road upgrade from gravel to low-seal volume (tarred road) will soon commence", the Ministry of Tourism explained. No date was given. "The roads identified for upgrade is the stretch from Okaukuejo, Halali, Namutoni to King Nehale."

Sven-Eric Stender