Addis to see 46 new road constructions in coming year

BY Hiwote Derbew

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia- Mr. Fekadu Hiale, General Manager Addis Ababa city administration road authority, announced that 33 new road constructions have been planned to be given to different contractors with the coming fiscal year with an investment outlay of 3.17 billion birr[~USD345 million].

Moreover, the authority by itself has intended to construct 13 road projects with a total 445 million birr [~USD49.3] million worth investments.
According to the manager the authority has planned 96 projects that are categorized under 12 sub projects that include maintenance of existing roads, construction and maintenance of pedestrian’s roads, drainages, gravel roads, bridges and others.

Fekadu disclosed that that authority has planned 96 projects to be implemented in the ended fiscal year, however 87 of them are half completed or have been just commenced in this year.
Among the 96 projects 20 of road projects that have 1.75 billion birr budget were given to contractors and only 51.8 percent of the projects has been completed.

He said that the construction of 12 roads has been finalized and are open for traffic in the past fiscal year. Among the major road projects ,road that stem from Yerer Ber to Gurde Shola to CMC, road that stems from ALERT hospital ring road to Keranyo, Kolfe Filipose to Asko new villages, are open to traffic which were previously known for big traffic jam in the city.

He concluded that in the coming fiscal year about twelve roads that are under construction are to be finalized including the Gothera interchange. Construction of Gotera flyover interchange has been commenced in November 2006,with 95 million birr, presented to the Addis Ababa city roads authority (AACRA) by a Chinese design company in June, involves the construction of overpasses connecting Dejazmach Beyene Merid Street in Kera to Ethio-Chinese Friendship Avenue in Wollo Sefer and Beyene Aba Sebsid Avenue to Debre Zeit Road.

Construction is being funded by the Ethiopian and Chinese governments and work is awarded directly to the Chinese company Chinese Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC). At present an average of 80,000 vehicles pass through the Gotera interchange south of the city centre every day.