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.
Ethiopian Toll Roads Enterprise (ETRE) was established in 2014 to manage (Operate and Maintain) federal toll roads in Ethiopia. It is one of the mega projects Ethiopia completed in the first Growth and Transformation Plan. Addis Ababa –Adama expressway (AAE) is the first expressway built in the East African region. It was opened for traffic in Sep.2014 to provide road users with toll road services. Addis Ababa –Adama expressway is a safe, comfortable, and reliable toll road that uses toll collection and traffic management technologies.
The Addis Ababa –Adama expressway investment cost was USD 612 million or ETB 11.2 billion. The source of finance was a loan of 57% from the China Export-Import Bank and a 43% grant from the Government of Ethiopia. AAE has a 78km length and 31m Width with three lanes in each carriageway and each lane is 3.75m wide, the median is 3.5m and is covered by different plants with ornamental and anti-glare effects. The AAE also has asphalt shoulder on both sides, which is 2.5m wide.
The road has a “Lay-by” every three kilometers for vehicles to check and maintain. AAE is access controlled all along by fence. There are 43 overpasses and 34 underpasses for the local community to access the other side of the expressway. There are three overload control stations with weigh-in-motion technology and two movable weigh scares to deter overloaded vehicles. ETRE involves six modern patrol vehicles and an ambulance to manage traffic incidents and accidents.
AAE has seven toll plazas (i.e. Bishoftu-north at (KM -16), Bishoftu-south at (KM -33), Modjo at (KM -52), Adama-West A and B at (KM-60) and Adama-main at (KM -64)) with 19 entrance and 29 exit toll gates overall. Every entrance toll gate has overload detection technology implemented. AAE uses a closed toll collection model and MTC (semi-automatic) toll collection method. (i.e. the vehicle classification and toll calculation is automatic while the actual toll collection is manual).
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 to be 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.
