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[Ethiopia] EU Allocates 540 Million Euro for Rural Road Construction

[Ethiopia] EU Allocates 540 Million Euro for Rural Road Construction

The European Union (EU) is going to provide 540 million euro in support of Ethiopia's road construction in rural areas for the next five years.

Since 1997 the EU has reportedly been financing rural road construction in the country investing 400 million euros, Mr. Antonio Capone, Second Secretary of and Head of Infrastructure Section at the EU delegation to Ethiopia told Strategic Thinking on East Africa.

"The result achieved in the road sector is remarkable. The country's road network has increased from 26,000-kms in 1997 to almost 100,000-kms in 2014", he told a press conference held in the EU premises in Addis last week.

 "As a result, the road density per 1,000 square kilometers has increased from 24-kms in 1997 to 90.5-kms in 2014. The condition of road network has improved substantially. The proportion of road network in good condition increased from 22 per cent in 1997 to 70 per cent in 2014," Capone said.

He also noted that the average travel time in rural areas to reach an all-season road in 2007, which was 4.5 hours is now reduced to less than 2 hours. "The percentage of population living within 2 kilometers from an all-weather road has increased each year by 2 per cent and today more than 65 per cent of kebeles (local districts) have access to the national road network, including during the rainy season," according Capone.

The head also mentioned that currently discussion is underway with the Ethiopian government for possible intervention of EU to support the construction of Awash-Togo Wachale-Berbera corridor.

www.ethpress.gov.et

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