Editing Transport in Ethiopia (section)

== Roads ==
[[File:Ethiopie-Lac Basaka (9).jpg|thumb|300px|An auto transporter passes along a highway in the Lake Beseka region of central Ethiopia.]]

Road projects now{{When|date=February 2024}} represent around a quarter of the annual infrastructure budget of the Ethiopian federal government. Additionally, through the Road Sector Development Program (RSDP), the government has earmarked $4 billion to construct, repair and upgrade roads over the next decade.<ref name="Goei">{{cite web|title=Infrastructure|url=http://www.ethiopia.gov.et/infrastructure|publisher=Government of Ethiopia|access-date=13 March 2014}}</ref>

As the first part of a 10-year to 15 year Road Sector Development Program, between 1997 and 2002 the Ethiopian government began a sustained effort to improve its infrastructure of roads. As a result, as of 2002 Ethiopia has a total (federal and regional) 33,297&nbsp;km of roads, both paved and gravel. The share of federally managed roads in good quality improved from 14% in 1995 to 31% in 2002 as a result of this program, and to 89% in 2009<ref name="Ethiopia earmarks" /> the road density increased from 21&nbsp;km per 1000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> (in 1995) to 889 per 1000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> (in 2009) however, this is much greater than the average of 50&nbsp;km per 1000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> for Africa.<ref>"[http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&theSitePK=523679&entityID=000112742_20030530104124&searchMenuPK=64187283&theSitePK=523679 Ethiopia - Second Road Sector Development Program Project]", p.3 ([[World Bank]] Project Appraisal Document, 19 May 2003)</ref>

The Ethiopian government had begun the second part of the Road Sector Development Program, which was completed in 2007. This had involved the upgrading or construction of over 7,500&nbsp;km of roads, with the goal of improving the average road density for Ethiopia to 35&nbsp;km per 1000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>, and reducing the proportion of the country area that is more than 5&nbsp;km from an all-weather road from 75% to 70%.<ref>World Bank, "Second Road Sector", p.11</ref>

In 2024, the [[Ministry of Transport and Communications (Ethiopia)|Ministry of Transport and Communications]] announced that they will ban combustion engined vehicle imports.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shahan |first=Zachary |date=2024-02-07 |title=Ethiopia Banning Non-Electric Car Imports |url=https://cleantechnica.com/2024/02/07/ethiopia-banning-non-electric-car-imports/ |access-date=2024-02-12 |website=CleanTechnica |language=en-US}}</ref> As of February 2024, the date and details of the ban have not been released.

According to the [[Government of Ethiopia]], it has spent over 600 billion [[Ethiopian birr|birr]] (US$50 billion, €30 billion) on infrastructure since 1990.
* ''total (regional and federal):'' 144,391&nbsp;km<ref name="Ethiopia earmarks" /> (2009)
* ''asphalt:'' 120,381&nbsp;km<ref name="Ethiopia earmarks">{{cite news| last=  Malone| first=  Barry| url=  https://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFJOE59R0FL20091028| archive-url=  https://web.archive.org/web/20091031204039/http://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFJOE59R0FL20091028| url-status=  dead| archive-date=  31 October 2009| title= Ethiopia earmarks almost $1 billion for roads| publisher=  [[reuters.com]]| date=  28 October 2009}}</ref> (2009) (89% of the roads in Ethiopia are asphalt)
* ''gravel:'' 11,023&nbsp;km<ref name="Ethiopia earmarks" /> (2009) (11% of the roads in Ethiopia are gravel)
* ''maintained by Regional government'': 86,580&nbsp;km (2009)

Major roads include:<br>
'''No 1''': north east from Addis Ababa 853&nbsp;km via [[Adama]] and [[Awash, Ethiopia|Awash]] to [[Bure, Africa|Bure]] on [[Eritrea]]n border<br>
'''No 2''': north from Addis Ababa 1071&nbsp;km via [[Dessie]], [[Mek'ele]] and [[Adigrat]] to [[Axum]]<br>
'''No 3''': north west from Addis Ababa across the [[Blue Nile]] at [[Dejen]] and again at [[Bahir Dar]] east around [[Lake Tana]] 737&nbsp;km to [[Gondar]]. Designated part of the [[Cairo-Cape Town Highway|Cairo-Cape Town]] Trans-African Highway 4 (TAH 4)<br>
'''No 4''': west from Addis Ababa 445&nbsp;km via [[Nekemte]] to [[Gimbi]]<br>
'''No 5''': west from Addis Ababa 510&nbsp;km via [[Jimma]] to [[Metu, Ethiopia|Metu]]<br>
'''No 6''': south west from Jimma 216&nbsp;km to [[Mizan Teferi]]<br>
'''No 7''': south from [[Mojo, Ethiopia|Mojo]] 432&nbsp;km via [[Shashamane]] and [[Sodo]] to [[Arba Minch]]. Part of road between Mojo and Shashamane is designated part of the [[Cairo-Cape Town Highway|Cairo-Cape Town]] Trans-African Highway 4 (TAH 4)<br>
'''No 8''': south from Shashamane 214&nbsp;km via [[Awasa]] to [[Hagere Mariam]]. Designated part of the [[Cairo-Cape Town Highway|Cairo-Cape Town]] Trans-African Highway 4 (TAH 4)<br>
'''No 9''': south from Adama 77&nbsp;km to [[Asella]]<br>
'''No 10''': east from Awash 572&nbsp;km via [[Harar]] and [[Jijiga]] to [[Degehabur]]

===Expressways===
[[File:Adama (3).jpg|thumb|300px|''Addis Ababa–Adama Expressway'' at [[Adama, Ethiopia|Adama]]|left]]
The [[Addis Ababa–Adama Expressway]] was completed in 2014 as the first expressway in Ethiopia.  In December 2015, construction began on a second expressway between [[Awasa]] and [[Mojo, Ethiopia|Mojo]], where it will connect to the existing expressway.<ref>{{cite news|title=$700m Ethiopian highway gets started after four-year search for funding|url=http://www.globalconstructionreview.com/news/700m-ethiopian-high8w8a8y-gets-started-after-four/|work=Global Construction Review|date=18 December 2015}}</ref>

In addition, the Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) has undertaken a three-year project to upgrade over 370&nbsp;km of roads in the country. Contracts have been signed with the Ethiopian Defense Construction, China Railway Engineering, Eney Construction, China Wuyi, Yotek Construction and FAL General Contractor.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201702020665.html|title=Ethiopia: Road Projects Expanding, Authority Awards Billions|last=Yohannes|first=Frehiwot|date=2017-02-02|newspaper=Addis Fortune (Addis Ababa)|access-date=2017-02-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.worldhighways.com/categories/road-highway-structures/news/three-year-programme-for-ethiopia-road-projects-planned/|title = Search}}</ref>

===Dangers of vehicular transport===

It is said that Ethiopia has the highest rates of traffic fatalities per vehicle in the world. This is due to many factors. For example, the roads are poorly maintained, lightened and marked; which are major factors in road accidents. Another major factor is the people themselves, who ignore the rules of the road. Their disregard of road safety puts every other driver at risk. Due to this, foreigners are advised to keep a safe distance from the car in front of them because the driving is unpredictable; anything can happen in the blink of an eye. Even the surroundings involving transport can be incredibly dangerous. For example, there are instances when carjackings and robberies occur on highways or streets that are away from the public eye. Due to this, people are forced to be highly alert of their surroundings, such as checking to make sure no one is lurking around their vehicle before entering and avoiding nighttime travel.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=17028|title = Working Together to Protect U.S. Organizations Overseas}}</ref>