A major new bridge project is now going ahead in Ethiopia, with funding being provided by the Ethiopian Government. The new Bahir Dar Abay Bridge will cost an estimated US$49 million to build and will measure 21.5m wide, allowing three traffic lanes as well as facilities for cyclists and pedestrians. Constructing the new bridge is expected to take three years and it will be designed and built by the Chinese contractor, China Communication Construction Company (CCCC). This project is going ahead as the existing Bahir Dar Abay bridge is 60 years old and has deteriorated, meaning it is no longer capable of handling the traffic volumes it is expected to carry. CCCC carried out repairs to the old bridge two years ago. Once complete the new bridge will be the longest in Ethiopia, winning this accolade from the 319m Bashilo River Bridge, completed in 2006.
Road infrastructure maintenance and development has been a priority of the Ethiopian Government in recent years, with the country spending $1.1 billion on its network during the last full financial year. This was however a 2.4% drop on spending from the previous financial year.
