Quarry operators in East Africa will be interested in news that the Ethiopian Road Authority (ERA) has signed a ETB13.2billion (US$0.48bn) agreement with contractors to upgrade various national roads from gravel to asphalt.
The upgrading of the roads, which will require huge quantities of aggregates, is part of the Second Growth and Transformation Plan and would be conducted on eight road projects.
ERA communication directorate director Samson Wondimu told local media that the projects cover 749.37km and are mainly implemented in Amhara, Somali, Oromia, SNNPs and Benisangul Gumuz states. Wondimu added that the Ethiopian government would cover the cost of the project.
The initiative is intended to ease traffic flow at national level and improve socioeconomic relationships between various communities within and among Ethiopian states.
The ERA wants to enhance the number of local consultants and contractors involved, and four of the contractors that are part of the agreement are local.
