Chinese firm awarded Modjo-Meki highway project

China Railway Seventh Group Co.Ltd (CRSG) won the bid for the design and construction of Modjo-Meki highway project.

CRSG undertook to complete the work within 42 months at 3.66 billion birr (inc. 15% VAT).

The 56.8 kilometers Modjo-Meki highway project is part of the planned Modjo-Hawassa expressway.

According to the bid document, the works include “design and construction of main line highway dual carriage way with two lanes having a lane width of 3.65m, a median width of 9m and a shoulder width of 1.5m or 1.0m or 0.75m on both sides depending on the terrain type”.

The overall Modjo-Hawassa expressway is planned to be 202.48 km long – branching out southwards from the Addis Ababa-Adama expressway near Mojo city and ending at Hawassa city. Its construction is planned in four sections: Modjo-Meki (56.8km), Meki-Zeway (36.896km), Zeway – Arsi Negele (57.1km), and Arsi Negele-Hawassa (51.68km).

The first three sections connect towns inside oromia region, while the last sections links to Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region(SNNPR). Hawassa is the capital of SNNPR.

Earlier this year, ERA awarded the Meki-Zeway (36.896km) section which is financed by the the Export-Import Bank of Korea, was awarded to the South Korean firm, Keangnam Enterprises Limited at about 2 billion birr. The contract was later suspended, however.

The Modjo-Meki (56.8km) section awarded to CRSGC, on the other hand, is to be financed by African Development Bank.

The rest two sections Zeway – Arsi Negele (57.1km) and Arsi Negele-Hawassa (51.68km) will be financed by the World Bank and the Export Import Bank of China, respectively. ERA have yet to assign contractors for these two sections.

Map - Ethiopia - Modjo - Hawassa expressway

*************

Daniel Berhane

more recommended stories