Authority to upgrade 6 gravel roads to asphalt

Authority to upgrade 6 gravel roads to asphalt

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Addis Ababa, 21 October 2014 (WIC) – Activities are underway to upgrade a total of 600-km gravel roads to asphalt at a cost of 9.5 billion birr, the Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) said.

Communications Directorate Team Leader at ERA, Dereje Hailu, told WIC that the six roads to be upgrade to asphalt level are located in SNNP and Oromia Regional States as well as Dire Dawa City Administration.

According to Dereje, the 220-km Dire Dawa-Dewele gravel road is one of the six road projects that would be improved to an asphalt level at a cost of over 3.98 billion birr secured from the government of Ethiopia and the Export-Import Bank of China on loan.

The contract was awarded to the Chinese construction giant CGC overseas, he said.

The other roads to be upgraded at a cost of over 2.2 billion birr are the 160.8-kms Morocho-Dimtu-Bitena and Adaba-Angetu 100–km roads in SNNP and Oromia Regional States respectively, he said.

The Konso-Yabelo 107 -km gravel road, which links the SNNP Regional State with Oromia Regional State, will be upgraded by the Chinese TIESIJU Civil Engineering Group Co. Ltd, at a cost of 1.19 billion birr, according to Dereje.

The new 48.3-km Bitena-Maiokote-Zalaeyesus-Sodo in SNNP Regional State and 63-km Ambo-Woliso asphalt roads in Oromia Regional State will also be built with 2.15 billion birr earmarked by the government, he said.

The road projects are expected to be completed within three years, according to Dereje.

Source: waltainfo