It is known that the Government of Ethiopia is undertaking vast and numerous developmental programs to achieve the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP) series laid out for the holistic renaissance of the country. The Addis Ababa – Adama Expressway (AAE) is one of the construction mega projects developed as part of GTP-I which is open for traffic and administered by the Ethiopian Toll Roads Enterprise. Other expressways (Modjo-Hawassa and Adama-Awash) are underway and many more are planned for future development and operation in line with the dynamic socio-economic development of Ethiopia.
Modjo- Batu (MB) is the third expressway next to Addis Ababa- Adama and Dire Dawa- Dewolle toll roads. Mojo-Hawassa Expressway (202.5 km) is part of the RSDP and the Second Growth and Transformation Plan (GTPII). The Expressway is part of the Addis Ababa-Moyale-Nairobi-Mombasa Road corridor and it’s also part of “The Great Trans African Highway” which extends from Cairo, Egypt, to Cape Town, South Africa, covering about 10,000 km.
The total budget of the project is more than ETB 14.4 billion which is mobilized from four Development Partners and the Government of Ethiopia. The participation of the African Development Bank, the Korean Exim Bank, the World Bank, and the China Exim Bank in the project makes it peculiar and the first of its type in the country’s road network development history. The project has two phases; Modjo- Meki- Batu (93 km) the first phase of the project and Batu- Arsi Negele- Hawassa (110 Km) is the second one. The first phase of the project inauguration day is in May 2021 G.C.
The Modjo- Batu expressway investment cost was ETB 6.3 billion. The source of finance was a loan from the Korea Exim Bank, the African Development Bank, and a grant from the Government of Ethiopia. MB has a 93 km length and 32 m width with four lanes in two carriageways each lane is 3.65 m wide, the median is 9 m. The MB also has asphalt shoulder on both sides, which is from 1.75- 2.25 m wide.
MB is access controlled all along by fence. There are 26 overpasses and 34 underpasses for the local community to access the other side of the expressway. There are ten overload control stations with weigh-in-motion technology. The Expressway has five toll plaza systems. As the project is in line with the Horn of Africa Integration Initiative, it creates enhanced Economic, Political, and Social integration with the neighboring countries, in general. It minimizes travel time to the towns in the corridor, provides alternative faster, safer,r and quality transportation, provides better access to the central and other nearby markets for farmers in the area, it creates alternative and better access for the tourist destinations in the corridor (Lake Abijata, Langano, Hawassa, etc.) and the nearby areas as well to the Konso, Arba Minch, and Omo Valley.
In the corridor, there are different small, medium, and large manufacturing companies and Industry parks. The expressway, on top of providing reliable access to the central market, eases transport to the port and hence minimizes the overall transaction cost. This ultimately, is believed, to enhance the logistics and overall competitiveness of the country. The expressway provides access to the local community in different places. It provides link roads to the nearby towns putting the local community in a better position to access health, education, and other social services. The road is expected to make a significant contribution to the growth and development of both the region and the country at large.
The Addis Adama Expressway is a significant new phase of road construction in our country. Unlike previous roads, this system introduces modern engineering and infrastructure standards, setting a new benchmark for future projects. This development not only improves transportation efficiency but also symbolizes our progress towards advanced infrastructure development overall.
Since its inception three years ago, the Addis-Adama Expressway has become a vital artery for our country, handling an average of five million vehicle trips annually. The expressway's sapling planting initiative on both sides of the road has been instrumental in reducing carbon emissions. This effort highlights the importance of integrating environmental sustainability into infrastructure development.
Apart from bringing comfortable and modern roads, they play a significant role in building the good image of the country. They accelerate economic growth and sustainable development by bringing people together at low cost in a short time. During the second development plan, the government aimed to double the road network, creating a favorable environment for a new phase in road construction.
The Addis-Adama Expressway is a great fruit of development that heralds the transition of road infrastructure to a higher level. It clearly indicates that national capacity in road construction is growing. If the people and the government work in cooperation along the lines of renaissance, the fruits of development seen in developed countries can be realized in Ethiopia in a short period of time.
Our country has become an example to other countries due to its economic development and peaceful living. Although our country has few vehicles, traffic accidents are high. I urge drivers to realize that they should not harm their own or others' lives by their mistakes. By acting on the messages sent regularly, they should cooperate to prevent and minimize accidents on the expressway.
