Ethiopia planning road network growth

Ethiopia is setting a target of 2020 to complete its road expansion programme. The plan has been to double the length of the country’s road network in the period from 2015 to 2020. At present Ethiopia has around 121,200km of roads, compared with around 100,000km of roads in 2015. But by 2020, the Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) aims to expand the network to 200,000km.
June 11, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
Ethiopia is setting a target of 2020 to complete its road expansion programme. The plan has been to double the length of the country’s road network in the period from 2015 to 2020. At present Ethiopia has around 121,200km of roads, compared with around 100,000km of roads in 2015. But by 2020, the Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) aims to expand the network to 200,000km. This expansion contrasts strongly with the country’s previous road network, with only 19,000km in all in 1990. However this expansion highlights Ethiopia’s economic growth and its focus on road development as a route to developing its trade and industry. And in the last 20 years, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Transport has supervised its ERA subsidiary in spending a budget of some US$11 billion on road building.


Several major road projects are being planned at present, with construction work now commencing by a Chinese contractor for a new highway in the south of the country. The Modjo-Hawassa Expressway will stretch 202km when complete, with two lanes in either direction. The project has been split into sections, with the for the construction of the Meki-Hawassa stretch. These include building the Meki-Ziway section, the stretch linking Ziway with Arsi Negele and the section to connect Arsi Negele with Modjo. The highway will run past the East Langano Nature Reserve as well as the Abidjatta-Shalla National Park, helping develop tourism in the region, as well as trade and transport.

Road Structures

Related Content

  • Times they are a changing
    July 23, 2012
    Construction in China still appears to be on course for growth even with the gloomy economic outlook, as it enjoys "a strong budgets position." Patrick Smith reports One thing is certain in the current global economic climate: nothing is certain. And while China has not been unaffected by the economic events of recent months it has, according to Robert Zoellinck, president of the World Bank, a very strong current account and budgetary position. For some years, the nation has enjoyed double digit growth (the
    Read More
  • Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh benefiting from major transport investment
    September 9, 2013
    Saudi Arabia is undergoing a series of upgrades to its transport network in a bid to improve Traffic flow rates and boost safety - Mike Woof reports. The massive growth in the use of motor transport worldwide since the start of the 20th century has transformed every country on the planet. But perhaps no country has changed more dramatically than Saudi Arabia, the world’s leading oil producer. At the start of the 20th century Saudi Arabia’s population was small and the country had few industries while it is
    Read More
  • India rushing to improve its highway system
    February 9, 2012
    Despite the world economic slowdown, India still seems in a rush to improve its highway system as Patrick Smith reports. Later this year India will be seen by hundreds of millions worldwide when the country's capital New Delhi hosts its biggest event ever.
    Read More
  • Tanzania delivers road construction boost
    November 2, 2012
    Plans to upgrade two major roads in Tanzania will bring huge benefits to the East African nation. Shem Oirere reports Tanzania’s bid to retain or improve its position as East Africa’s second largest economy is gaining momentum as the government moves to support the achieved growth and contribute more to ongoing regional economic integration through the improvement of its transport infrastructure. The country received a major boost in April, 2012, when the African Development Bank (AfDB), one of Tanzania lea
    Read More

Highlighted Content