Shekosh-Kebridehar-Denen-Gode Road Opens To Traffic

A resident of Dire Dawa town, Assefa Belachew has worked for more than 15 years as a driver. Assefa had traveled throughout the towns of Somali State over the years. The road linking Jigjiga to Kebribeyah, Shekosh to Kebridehar and also Gode is part of his memory. Insecurity had remained a threat to him over the years but now it is over as the Shekosh-Kebridehar-Denen-Gode road is constructed. A lot of sacrifices were paid to construct the road, which is now open to traffic.

Among the residents of the area who share the feelings of Assefa is Abdulahi Sherif. Abdulahi recalls the ups and downs to travel to a town called Belay Zeleke from Shekosh town before the construction of the road. He says at present there are no ups and downs and problems related to security affairs are solved following the construction.

The construction of the road project was undertaken in three phases. According to the representative of the Shekosh-Kebridehar road, Engineer Mosiye Belachew, the construction meets standards. The road interconnects three zones in the state playing a significant role in facilitating transportation system in the area.

Earlier there was problem related to transportation, Eng. Mosiye recalled, adding, insecurity was the main challenge in the area during the construction of the road. The defence force has provided support in the construction of the road.

The road, whose construction was launched six years back, work was not completed according to schedule due to the stated challenge and also lack of infrastructure development in the area, which was a constraint to make use of large machinery. Construction Manager Eng.Berhanu Meshesha also said the road is significant to link the Somali State with other parts of the country.

Eng. Berhanu said it took time to construct the road and 15 - 20 days were required to transport the necessary construction materials to the area. Similarly, clearing the area from landmines, which were planted during the time, when Somalia under Ziad Barre's rule invaded the area, took a long time.

The area had no access to modern roads for many years. The 276-kms road was constructed by the Ethiopian Roads Construction Corporation. Manager of the Corporation, Engineer Abey Gebre-Mariam on his part said that the delay in the supply of machinery had negative impact on the project.

Earlier, construction work was undertaken only for five hours a day due to problems related to security. However, the work was carried out day and night after stability was ensured in the area.

Over 1.5 billion birr was allocated for the Shekosh-Kebridehar-Denen-Gode Road. Local organizations, Best and Beza, provided consultancy and supervision services for the project.

According to the Ethiopian Roads Authority, the road is 10 metres wide. The construction of the road, which includes building of bridges,ditches and drainage canals, will significantly contribute to maintaining the prevailing peace and security in the area.

Source: The Ethiopian Herald