Ethiopia- Expressway Development Support Project

The project development objective of the Expressway Development Support Project for Ethiopia is to enhance efficiency and safety in the movement of goods and people along the Batu (Zeway)-Arsi Negele section of the Modjo-Hawassa development corridor, whilst strengthening the Recipient’s institutional capacity to develop and manage high capacity highways and expressways. The project is comprised of three main components. Component 1, construction of high capacity highway, included constructing the Batu (Zeway) - Arsi Negele section of the new Modjo - Hawassa Highway, including support for livelihood restoration; monitoring and supervising the civil works to be carried out, and supporting prioritized road safety improvement works at potential accident sites on the trunk road network and piloting the implementation of corridor based road safety actions along the high capacity highway and expressway network. Component 2, institutional development and regulatory framework, includes the following parts: (1) strengthening the recipient’s capacity for the development of expressways and high capacity highways, strengthening functional units within the Ethiopian Toll Roads Enterprise for expressway and high capacity highway management, undertaking studies and making recommendations on how to monitor and strengthen governance and transparency in procurement and contract management in the road sector; and preparing follow-on operations, including the preparation of related feasibility studies. Component 3, road safety and institutional development support to the transport sector, includes the following parts: supporting the implementation of the road safety and strengthening the policy-making, planning and monitoring functions of the Ministry of Transportation.