With Ethiopian population centers separated by vast distances, road transport infrastructure is critical to sustaining the country’s communities, growing strong economy and improving international competitiveness.
The Ethiopian Government, through the Ministry of Transport and Federal Road Authority, contributes to the prosperity of the economy and the wellbeing of all citizens by supporting continued improvement to the road transport infrastructure.
Over the last 20 years the Ethiopian government has given due concern for national logistic development investing a lot on the road infrastructure along the entire corridor of the country ranging from sophisticated ring roads, express ways to rural road networks. The Government has also been working with state, territory and local governments, as well as industry and community stakeholders, to progress Heavy Vehicle Road Reform.
At the heart of the construction of roads there is a very critical work a bridge which is a structure built to span a physical obstacle, such as a body of water, valley, or road, without closing the way underneath.
The nature of the Ethiopian terrain requires the construction of bridges that can be better acclimatized and constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, usually something that can be detrimental to cross otherwise.
So far Ethiopia has built many different designs of bridges that each serve a particular purpose and apply to different situations in the city of Addis Ababa and cross country roads and railways. Designs of bridges vary depending on the function of the bridge, the nature of the terrain where the bridge is constructed.
The Ethiopian Road Authority is mandated to advise the Government on transport reform and innovations to improve road transport efficiency, productivity safety and environmental performance. The Authority also provides a diverse range of day-to-day services to the road transport sector and the community.
Recently, the Ethiopian Road Authority has disclosed the commencement of a 380 meter long bridge project over the River Abay on Friday 2019 in the city of Bahir Dar as part of the second GTP on the road sector.
At its commencement in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonen, Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew, Transport Minister, Dagmawit Moges, Temesgen Tirunh, the Amhara State President and other seniorities, it is stated that the bridge will up the import export trade of the country and widens opportunities to better utilize the Port Sudan and create economic corridor in the North Western part of the country.
The Transport minister stated that as road infrastructure is a means to achieve social and economic goals, a principal ligament interconnecting people of diverse culture and exchange of commodities, the federal government has financed a lot on the sector. Thus, in the year 2020/21 it set to achieve 91 road projects so as to address the age long public quest and swift the import export trade.
Habtamu Tegegne, Director General of The Ethiopian Road Authority said that the new bridge project over River Nile at Bahir Dar is more than a mere bridge project. It is rather a unique land mark which brings together transport architecture, tourism, trade sectors together.
Apart from adding some sort of sensuous beauty, promoting tourism, the bridge will have irreplaceable importance to swift the country’s import export trade and the second gate way of foreign trade next to Djibouti at its proximity with Port Sudan via Metema, it is stated.
The project which is fully financed by the Ethiopian Government at a cost 1,437,000,000 birr will have 43 meter width with capacity of flowing 6 vehicles at once and path ways for bicycles. The project is expected to be culminated within three years of time span.
The China Communication Construction Company (CCCC) has taken the contract while Botake Bosferus a Turkey based consultancy coupled with domestic Stadia Engineering took the inspection and consultancy.
The first extradosed bridge project has also incorporated concrete structure, ramp, traffic signals and works of bridge beacons.
So far the Ethiopian Government has been striving to exploit the blessing of Rivers putting in place the construction of dams, bridges, irrigation schemes and registered astonishing success in weaponing nature as a developmental goal.
The Ethiopian Herald September 26, 2019
BY LAKACHEW ATINAFU
