B1 road (Namibia)

The B1 begins on the South African border at a bridge over the Orange River near the town of Noordoewer, as a continuation of South Africa's N7 national route. It heads north to Grünau, where it meets the B3 from Karasburg (and Upington from continuing on South Africa's N10 national route) and the Nakop-Windhoek railway line. From there, it continues north to the city of Keetmanshoop; on the southern outskirts, it intersects by means of a traffic circle with the B4 to Lüderitz.

From Keetmanshoop, the route continues north along the western fringes of the Kalahari Desert, passing through Mariental, Kalkrand and Rehoboth. The route then passes through a mountainous region and emerges in the southern suburbs of Namibia's capital city Windhoek near Eros Airport.

Most of the 74-kilometre (46 mi) section between Windhoek and Okahandja has been upgraded to freeway standard (beginning with a western bypass of Windhoek built in the 1970s), and since April 2017, the freeway sections have been redesignated by the Roads Authority Namibia as the A1.[1] Remaining sections of the B1 just south of Okahandja are expected to be upgraded to freeway standard by 2022.[2]

From Okahandja, the B1 resumes and heads north for approximately 175 kilometres (109 mi) to Otjiwarongo; this section is considered one of the deadliest roads in Namibia with a high crash fatality rate.[3] From Otjiwarongo, the B1 heads in a more north-easterly direction to avoid the Etosha National Park, passing through Otavi (where the B8 provides a route to the Caprivi Strip and the border with Zambia) before reaching Tsumeb.

At Tsumeb, the route makes a hard turn to the north-west at the intersection with the B15 and skirts the Etosha Pan to reach Oshivelo and thence Ondangwa, from where it resumes a northerly path and heads to Oshikango. At Oshikango, the route crosses the border into Angola and becomes the EN 120.