September 10, 2017 - A high-level delegation of the African Development Bank (AfDB), the financier of the Addis Ababa - Nairobi - Mombasa road project, visited the progress of the project on the Ethiopian side. The Addis Ababa-Nairobi-Mombasa road project is an important section of the Cairo-Cape town trans-African highway, which will traverse nine African countries. Upon completion, the road connects Ethiopia and Kenya and will enable Ethiopia access the Mombasa port for its import-export trade.
“The project is going well. We have witnessed some sections that have already completed and some are making progress. We haven’t gone very fine expectation as the original plans but a lot of mobilization has already done in fact,” he said.
Noting the road project from the Kenyan side has completed a year ago, the Executive Director said “I hope the section remain on the Ethiopia side will also be done quick enough, so we will complete the corridor to connect the two countries as planned with the schedule.”
He said the “We can say that this project is regional project which as you know it will connect the two countries, basically it will connect the East African region.”
As Ethiopia is one of the countries least connected in the region, the Executive Director noted that “now it is being connected with excellent road facility.”
The project will promote trade between countries the East African Community and also enhance integration.
He added that the Ethiopian government is doing its work excellently for the implementation of the project.
Chief Transport Engineer Ethiopia Country Office, Mumina Wa-Kyendo said the project involving 700 km Hawassa-Moyale road, and the 300km Hageremarima-Moyale road has already been completed.
Noting that the road between Hawassa and Hagerimariam has been delayed due to various reasons, he expressed hope that it will be finalized by the end of 2018.
The construction of the project is part of the efforts by the governments of Ethiopia and Kenya to improve trade and regional economic integration between the two countries and socio-economical development in the region.
Source:- Ethiopian News Agency