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.
Dire Dawa- Dewolle (DD) is the second toll road in Ethiopia next to the Addis- Adama expressway. The Government of Ethiopia understands the benefits of toll roads and has tried to build other roads in different parts of Ethiopia. DD toll road investment cost was ETB 5.2 billion, and the source of finance 85% loan from the China Export-Import Bank and a 15% grant from the Government of Ethiopia. CGC was also the contractor of the road. The toll road of DD is 223 km in length, 10 m wide with 2 lanes and each lane 3.5 m wide. The road has a 3 m asphalt shoulder on both sides. There are 29 Overpasses for the local community to access the other side of the road.
It was opened for traffic in June 2019 to provide toll road services for road users. Dire Dawa- Dewolle is a safe, comfortable, and reliable toll road that uses several toll collection and traffic management technologies. In the country story, DD is the first toll road through high length. The toll road has three toll plazas (i.e. Lasdere at km 16, Biyodile at km 120, and Dewolle at km 220) with 12 entrances and 12 exit toll gates overall. In all stations, there is a modern toll collection model with organized monitoring system.
The road expected that serve for 17 years. According to this, there are three permanent overload control stations with weight-in-motion technology to deter overloaded vehicles, to prevent the risk that overloaded vehicles destroying the road, and to keep the road safe. Ethiopian Toll Roads Enterprise provides 24/7 service. Road patrolling traffic operation is one of the services that are given 24 hours by educated and skilled manpower to respond to any kind of situation that clients face when they are using the road.
DD toll road uses an open model toll collection model. The Enterprise provides efficient services to the workers, who have a spirit of servant. When the client drives with the settled speed limitation and travel lane; they will pay ETB 260 for light, 330 for mediates, and 560 for heavy vehicles. The system of payment is 50% at the entrance, 25% at the second station, and the last 25% at the exit toll gates.
Dire Dawa- –Dewolle has answered the question of society about modern roads and it has a lot of benefits; They can reduce the distance between the cities and make strong relations among people, They have a role in traffic flow activities as a main corridor in Import- Export trade from Djibouti sea’s port, It decreases the trip by 50 km according to Awash- Mille- Djibouti road and It create 200 work opportunity for the society who are living around the road.
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.
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