ADDIS ABABA: – Agreements have been signed for the construction of nine road projects covered 749 kilometers across the country with a total cost of 13.3 Billion birr, according to the Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA).
Briefing journalists during the contract signing ceremony, ERA Director General Araya Girmay said that the cost for the construction of these nine projects will be covered by the government. Up on the completion, the projects will contribute a lot in creating employment opportunity, thereby to assist the growth of the economy and improve people’s livelihood, the Director said.
According to Araya, about 7,910 kilometer asphalt roads have been constructed over the last three years, which accounts 2,700 kilometers every year.
The authority has been so far undertaking the construction of several road projects to meet the target plan set in the Second Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP-II) period that focused on ensuring the accessibility of road infrastructure in the country, Araya said.
Since the launch of GTP-II, the construction of 89 road projects has been completed, whereas the progress of 215 road projects, which covered 15,771.9 kilometers in all parts of the country, is still under construction. He said adding that, the construction of 107 projects with a total length of 6,048 kilometers have been already stared including the current signed projects.
According to the Director, the authority is currently conducting feasibility study for the construction and maintenance of over 180 road projects.
The Authority calls for all contractors, who signed the agreements, to finalize their projects timely and in good quality. On the other hand, the construction companies assured that they will work responsibly based on the agreements they made with the authority, The Ethiopian Herald learned.