[ChrisZwolle]

Ethiopia - ኢትዮጵያ

A thread about Ethiopia is now certainly justified since they're building the first intercity motorway in the country!

It will run from Addis Ababa to Nazareth, for a distance of 80 kilometers. It will feature 2x3 lanes, cost $ 612 million and is build by the Chinese. It will open 6 months ahead of schedule, which was April 20th, 2012.

route:

Since May 31st, its route is clearly visible on new Google Earth Imagery

 

[ChrisZwolle]

Pics

Addis Abeba:

Adigrat:

Kolombocha - Addis Abeba:

 

[ChrisZwolle]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_vehicles_per_capita

1 per 1000 inhabitants. But this is unsourced and many of that list come from nationmaster, which itself is far from reliable. Besides that, there may not even be something like a motor vehicle registration agency, which means the number of vehicles can only be estimated.

 

[ChrisZwolle]

Well, there is a partial ring road around Addis Abeba that looks like a motorway sometimes, but there are a few places with roundabouts. It has 4x2 lanes at times (separating slow from fast traffic).

 

[ChrisZwolle]

Addis Ababa - Nazret Expressway:

 

[ChrisZwolle]

http://www.2merkato.com/20111228720/feasibility-study-for-new-ethiopian-expressway-underway

A feasibility study to construct a parallel toll road between Modjo and Hawassa is being conducted by the Ethiopian Roads Authority. The study, undertaken by experts from the Ethiopian authority will support a detailed design for the new express way.

This expressway would connect to the Addis Ababa - Nazret Expressway (see post above). There are also plans to extend that expressway east to Awash (towards Djibouti).

 

[ChrisZwolle]

Some new Google Earth imagery of the Addis Ababa - Nazret Expressway.

Nazret bypass

Debre Zeyit East Interchange.

It goes right through a village north of Debre Zeyit.

 

[ChrisZwolle]

Addis Ababa - Nazret Expressway

New Google Earth imagery shows the new Addis Ababa - Nazret Expressway in an advanced condition. Imagery is just a month old.

 

[ChrisZwolle]

Have you seen any road number signs?

 

[ChrisZwolle]

Ethiopia to Build another Highway to Djibouti

Ethiopia is to build a 250 kilometer highway connecting between Dire Dawa and Dewale it was announced. The road project, currently in the design stage is expected to upgrade the current gravel road to asphalt creating another alternative access to a sea port.

The road is particularly important in light of the fact the Ethiopia handles 98 percent of its export and import freight through Port Djibouti. It is also expected that a new port intended to be constructed in Tadjoura will increase the congestion at this port thus facilitating the trade though Djibouti. Ethiopia has been investing in the construction of roads connecting with other countries in the region including the recently completed Assosa-Kurmuk concrete asphalt road and the Shire-Adi Goshu- Lugdi road project.The first phase of the Shire-Adi Goshu-Lugdi project has already been finished at an estimated cost of 616 million birr, while the second phase leading to Lugdi is currently under construction.

The Gambella-Etang-Gikawe road is expected to connect the newly-independent republic of South Sudan to Ethiopia and is slated for completion in June 2013. There are several other roads currently in the planning phase including the road network expected to ultimately connect Ethiopia with Port Mombassa.​

 

[ChrisZwolle]

Hmm, I'm surprised this road is not in better condition, given the economic importance of this road as Ethiopia's most important route to a seaport (Djibouti).

 

[ChrisZwolle]

AFDB to Approve Loan Request for Mojo-Zeway Expressway Project

http://www.2merkato.com/news/alerts...oan-request-for-mojo-zeway-expressway-project

This would be a replacement of Route 6, from Mojo to Zeway. According to Google Earth the distance is only about 90 - 95 kilometers, so 120 km probably means a bypass of Zeway as well. Route 6 connects Addis Ababa with Nairobi.

 

[ChrisZwolle]

 

[ChrisZwolle]

Addis Ababa - Nazret Expressway

 

[ChrisZwolle]

Addis Ababa - Nazret Expressway

Addis-Adama Highway Completed

The Addis Ababa-Adama expressway, built at a cost of more than 10.3 billion Birr (US$530 million), has been completed.

Ethiopian Roads Authority's Communications director Ato Samson Wondimu said the 84-kilometre highway will be opened to the public soon and will reduce average travel time between the two places from the current three hours to 45 minutes.​

http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v7/wn/newsworld.php?id=1029478

Great news for Ethiopia. The first modern expressway in the country. :cheers:

 

[ChrisZwolle]

Addis Ababa - Nazret Expressway

The 80 kilometer new expressway will open to traffic tomorrow 5 May 2014 :cheers:

 

[ChrisZwolle]

The motorway around Nazret / Adama on June 2014 imagery.

 

[ChrisZwolle]

Ethiopia: Over 100,000km Road Constructed in Four Years

More than 100,000 km of roads has been built over the past four years with a total cost of 120 billion Birr, said Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA).

According to the Planning and ICT Deputy Director at ERA, Bekele Nigusse, the achievement marks 75% completion rate of the 130,000 km of road ERA planned to build in the Five Year Growth and Transformation Plan.​

Full report: http://allafrica.com/stories/201409170406.html

120 billion Birr is around $ 6 billion.

 

[ChrisZwolle]

Nice photos Vatse! The expressway looks quite good, I just hope Ethiopia can maintain it to decent standards. And teach people how to drive on an expressway.

 

[ChrisZwolle]

An obstacle of expressway development is possibly the lack of cities. Ethiopia has 88 million inhabitants (more than Germany), but only one large city (Addis Ababa) with 3 million people. The second largest city has only around 250,000 people (city population estimates tend to be unreliable).