The Ethiopian Road Authority has just managed to complete 9,582 kilometers as part of its bid to construct 71,523 kilometers in five years under the Universal Rural Road Access Project. The plan would require the authority to construct 14,000 kilometers every year.
The construction program has fallen behind due to several challenges including financial shortages, absence of consultants and contractors, delays in getting construction materials to the sites in the right quantities it was said.
The authority hopes to address these problems by increasing commitment to the project and effecting solutions on all fronts.
In related news the Addis Ababa Roads Authority awarded three more projects to contractors. The contractors selected for the road construction project are the Chinese Road and Bridge Corporation, Gebrehiwot Ekubemariam Construction and Satcon Construction.The projects are estimated to be worth a total of 847 million birr.
The tender issued by the authority in June had attracted 17 bidders from which pool the three companies were selected.
All the projects will be completed in 2 years as part of the plans to increase the road coverage of the city by 20% by 2020 according to Engineer Fekade Haile, General Manager of the AACRA.
The projects are being funded by the authority’s budget for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 budget allocations he added.
Source: Capital
