Addis Ababa is the capital of the continent. It is the symbol of the unity of Ethiopians. It reflects spellbinding colors. From now on, the window that displays the beauty of the city is kept open. The capital is shining as a result of the eye catching project made across the line of the historic Churchill Street.
The cold city rise and shine with glamorous light. The capital seems smiling for gaining its beautiful name once again through throwing its old image and dressing flowers. Sheger/Addis has become more beautiful than any other times for hosting its residents on the carpet of beauty that stretched between Meskel Square and Office of the Municipality.
Recently, visionary residents of Addis Ababa have aspired seeing the improvement of the capital. They were yearning for the presence of a splendid capital embracing diverse people as it houses numerous Ethiopians. That is why they were craving for realizing their dream through constructing the draft of beautiful project design. Their effort has come up with remarkable outcomes and they have started enjoying their success. A year ago, the residents had an ambition to have a capital with fascinating features and they craved for it. Today they are delighted as their dream has come true and meet their ambition.
The carpet of beauty is stretched between Meskel Square and the Municipality Office. The historic Meskel Square has worn a crown of magnificence. The square has been renovated to be a catchy center and source of comfort to the residents. It has lost its uninteresting images and improved to be attention-grabbing. It has also become suitable platform to undertake various events.
It was built in a decorated design with astonishing seats in a row and the area looks dazzling by the amazing lights. The lower surface of the square was dug deeply to have enthralling parking lot that could host more than 1,400 vehicles. The park has been equipped with modern technology.
The invitees would not be bothered by the scorching sun since it has modern air conditioner. The huge screens erected behind the seats entitle breathtaking beauty to the square. Shops, cafes, coffee and shops have been built to serve customers. The square which hosts up to 1 million people is bedecked with the surrounding beautiful flowers.
Passing the square, crossing the big stadium, there is Addis Ababa Municipality which could enable to view Churchill Street from a distance, which is part of the project. To the right side, gazing at the future of Legehare prompts tomorrow’s brightness and optimism.
A new look and splendor of the Churchill Street can easily be seen from a distance. The road has been seen unpleasant from the hustle and bustle of pedestrians and cars for years, has now become comfortable to drive cars; Pedestrians are even free to walk. The sidewalks are more comfortable than they were before.
The uniquely beautiful and the well-appointed street for the beauty of the city lead to the town hall. The skyscrapers on the main street have also provided the Churchill Street with a majestic look. According to Adanech Abebie, Deputy Mayor of the city, the Meskel Square project was built at an outlay of Birr 2.5 billion. She said that the project is part of the ongoing beautification of Addis Ababa City. She also said that this successful project is a manifestation of the firm commitment and farsightedness of leaders for making Addis Ababa a beautiful and attractive place. She said the Meskel Square project, which was built for the comfort of the beneficiaries, is of great significance and has changed the face of the country’s capital. Not only has the project has shown potential to grow but it has also portrayed that thinking and acting diligently can bring success.
As per the Deputy Mayor, the project could host a million spectators, which is double of its previous capacity. She also elucidated that the part of the project that covers 3.5 km area between the Municipality and Meskel Square is made incredible as it has to be neat for drivers and pedestrians. The project is of instrumental in creating job opportunities, minifying traffic congestion and transforming the feature of the capital.
It has attracted many to enjoy trekking. I talked to Yohannes while he was traveling down from Churchill. He explained that he has aspired to have such a stunning city and was heartily surprised by the dramatic change brought about around Churchill Avenue.
The eye-catching green plants and the boulevard that is made comfortable for pedestrians have provided the road with grandiose look. Commenting on the sustainability of the remarkable projects carried out in the city, Yohannes urged citizens to well preserve the common assets and work hard to prolong their durability.
I saw Memeher Yekoye staring at the newly inaugurated Meskel Square. I approached him with my recorder to listen to his heartbeat and to catch his impression about the renovated Meskel Square. Memeher Yekoye had lots of experiences in Meskel Square. He has participated on several public events. Having that memory in mind, he amazingly looked at all the renovation tasks carried out within the shortest time possible.
According to him, all the new projects that are being carried out all over the City including the parks and other activities of the Administration are encouraging and make the city more livable. These projects are the property of the society. Hence, everyone is duty bound to protect them properly. They are the legacies of this generation that should be passed down to the new generation. If the City keeps on developing such kind of projects, it won’t be too far for Addis to line itself among those internationally acclaimed metropolitan cities.
Meskel Square is renovated with a state of the art technology to display Ethiopian identity. It has included artifact stores, offices, six modern elevators, surveillance cameras serving 24 hours. What is more, Meskel Square is renovated to provide citizens with wifi, telcom and banking services. The efforts of the Administration are good indications how it is committed to bring change within a short period of time. The report from City Administration indicated that apart from beautifying the City and providing the public with service during public events, Meskel Square will help the city create job opportunity for about 10,000 Ethiopians.
The Ethiopian Herald June 18 /2021
