Ethiopia develops road expansion plan

The Ethiopian Government has set out plans for a major programme of road development work to expand the country’s network. In all 58 road projects are being planned, with the programme having been set out by the Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA). The plans call for 3,171km of roads to be built in all. These will be constructed in Tigray, Oromia and Amhara, with work commencing shortly and expected to take three years to complete. The Ethiopian Government will spend US$1.5 billion on the work, with a further $428.6 million being provided by development banks. When the new roads are open to traffic, the country will have better access to its rural areas and the expansion is intended to boost local commerce.