Sinopia News Top

Ethiopia: ERA Awarded 6.5B Birr worth Road Projects to Chinese Companies

The Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) awarded road construction projects, worth 6.5 billion birr to three Chinese companies, Fortune reported.

Zaid Woldegabriel, the ERA’s general director;Zhou Yongsheng, CCCC’s representative; Zhao Sanbao, general manger of China Railway No.3 Engineering Group Co. Ltd and Wang Guanghui, manager of the marketing development of China Railway Seventh Group Co Ltd, signed an ageement on Thursday, January 16, 2014.

China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) is awarded three projects in Addis Abeba for 4.6 billion birr. The projects include the continuation of the Rapid Adama Expressway and two projects connecting the expressway with the capital.

China Railway No.3 Engineering Group Co Ltd. is awarded a project totaling 161.23kms, in Amhara region for 1.4 billion birr. The project include the 89.23kms long project which starts in Gashena, 620 km north of Addis Abeba in the North Gonder Zone.

Another Chinese company, China Railway Seventh Group Co Ltd., is awarded a 44km road in Zagora (Kechen Meda), which involves five large bridges, each 30m long. The contract has been awarded to  for 485 million birr.

The Ethiopian government allotted 3.05 billion birr for the cost of design and construction of the projects. The remaining 3.45 billion birr was obtained as a loan from the Export Import Bank of China.

The projects are part of ERA’s fourth Road Sector Development Program (RSDP), which aims to expand road coverage across the country.

Source: Fortune