Chinese Company Wins Most Expensive Road Projects

The Addis Abeba Roads Authority (AACRA) and China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) held a groundbreaking ceremony on February 14, 2017, for the two most expensive road projects in Ethiopia. In total, the two roads will cost 4.7 billion Br.

Addis Abeba City Mayor Driba Kuma and Deputy Mayor Abate Setotaw presided over the groundbreaking ceremony which was held at Qality Square. The two projects are the Qality-Tulu Dimtu ring road interchange, and the Qality ring road to Qilinto road. Both projects will cover 20.6 km and include overpasses and underground pass bridges.

Officials said the construction of the two road projects will create more than 5000 jobs. Both roads are situated in areas important for import/export and are expected to create market linkages for both smaller businesses and for industrial parks.

The Qality ring road interchange -Tulu Dimtu ring road is located on the outskirts of Addis Abeba. The project will cost 222.7 million Br per kilometre and will include the construction of five bridges as well as the Akaki Bridge. Consultancy services for the 11km project will be provided by Eskinder Zewde Construction Consultant Company. However, the project will not be finished all at once, as it is in an important area for import and export cargo transportation. Over 70pc of the country’s import and export passes through this road.

CCCC, the awarded company, is currently working on the second phase of the Qilinto Industrial Park project.

A month ago, CCCC was awarded the Cheretti-Hager-Mekor project in Oromia Regional State, which covers 90km. The company also worked on the expansion of the Bole airport passenger terminal in 2012 and the Adama-Addis Abeba express road project in 2015.

The project will be completed in stages, with the first stage being a three-kilometre stretch.

“The money is not excessive when you look at the quality and the length of road,” said Eskinder Zewde (Eng.). “It includes an overpass and underground projects, and will be constructed with concrete.”

The Qality ring road to Qilinto road project will cost 219.8 million Br per kilometre. It includes other structures such as bridges. The 10.6 km project will cost a total of 2.33 billion Br and will be provided with consulting services by Hake Consultant Company. It will include a 250m-span bridge as well as an underpass bridge.

“This project will connect Bole Michael ring road and Qality ring road,” said Wesen Million (Eng), a consultant who works at Hake. “The road will provide an easy transportation route for the goods from the Qilinto industrial zone, as well as be being useful for the condominium residents in the area.”

About half of the cost for the projects will be financed through a loan from the China Exim Bank, and the other half through the Addis Abeba City Roads Authority.

A week ago, the parliament approved over 608.3 million dollar loan secured from China Exim Bank, which will be used to develop infrastructural facilities in the country.

“This fiscal year, we allotted over six billion Birr for the construction and repair of roads in Addis Abeba,” said Habtamu Tegegn (Eng.), Director of AACRA. “About 267 million Br has been allotted to the upkeep and improvement of existing roads.”

Ethiopia now has a road network of 110,414 km and is targeting to reach 220,000 km by 2020. Road coverage in Addis Abeba has reached over 22pc. For the 2016/2017 fiscal year, the government has allocated 46.6 billion birr for national road construction.

“The construction of the road has been a long time concern of the community,” says Gulma Merga, who has lived in the Qality area for around 70 years. “It will help small enterprises engage in faster growth.”


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