ERA undertaking road projects with close to 30bn birr

Addis Ababa, 15 October 2014 (WIC) - Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) announced that it would carry out 43 road projects with close to 30 billion birr this Ethiopian budget year.

ERA Public Relations Director Samson Wondimu said that over 90 percent of the cost for the 2,787 km road projects would be covered by the Ethiopian government.

Some 79 percent of the projects would be asphalted, the remaining being gravel.

The road project to be finalized in the budget year includes Wolkite-Arakit-Hosaena, Yezarima-Maytsebri-Shire, Mana begna-Lemlem Bereha, Mazorya-Hadero-Durgi, Emi-Lab-Gode, Agula Barahle-Dalol, and Tsegeda Megenteya-Ketema Nigus, among others, according to Samson.

The roads will help further strengthen integration between regions and would also enable to utilize untapped natural resources and supply their products to the market.

According to ENA, some 31 of the 43 projects are being constructed by local contractors.