Blue Nile Contractor signs 41 million Br. road project

182 mln Br.Tekeze-Humera road opens today

By Tamiru Geda

Blue Nile Contractor Plc signed the contract on Thursday August 21, 2003 at the Head office of ERA a 41, 673, 740.21 birr contract for the periodic rehabilitation of Jimma-Deddesa road, 76 Km long road located in south western part of the country.
According to Samson Wondimu, Public Relation head of ERA, the Jimma-Dedessa road construction project was awarded to Blue Nile Contractor, in a bid that participated firms such as Yencomad Contractor, and Battu Construction.
The rehabilitation project of the asphalted road, financed through ERA’s Road Fund, will commence in a month time and is expected to be completed within 30 months. United Consulting Engineers Plc. (UNICONE) who handled the design of the project, shall be responsible for the supervision.
In related news, another local contractor, Macro General Contractor was also awarded the first phase bid for the structuring of four different bridges and 31 culverts on a 100 Km-radius on the Duri-Dewelle road in Eastern part of the country. Saba Consulting is the consultant for this project.
Mobilization of human resources and technical equipment for this 13 million birr World Bank financed construction project is scheduled to commence in the coming weeks and will be completed within 540 days.
In another news, one of ERA’s road projects, the 128 Km roads that stretch between Tekeze and Humera opens to traffic today. The gravel road that was undertaken at 182, 921, 404 birr cost also serves as an alternative road to the Sudan through the Azezzo-Metema road. Sur Construction, a local contractor has been involved on the construction of the project, and supervision of the road was undertaken by the Transport Construction Design Enterprise.
The Tekeze and Humera road construction designed as 11 meters wide in the town area and 7 meters in the rural area, was interrupted during the Ethio- Eritrea border dispute in 1997, before it was restarted in May 2001.
Officials from Tigray Regional State and representatives of ERA are expected to attend the opening ceremony of the road today, 24 August 2003.
Sur Construction has also constructed the 69 Km road stretching from Sheraro to Tekeze at a cost of 41,146, 137 birr, and maintained the 70 Km gravel road from Endaselassie to Sheraro at 35,491,332 birr.