Name of the project and location
Jima–Mizan road upgrade, Ethiopia.

Project description
The road upgrade project aims to improve transportation services between the towns of Jima and Mizan, facilitating market integration with the rest of the country and abroad.

The project comprises construction work for the upgrading of the gravel-surfaced road to asphalt-concrete standard, with a 7-m wide carriageway, 1,5-m shoulders on either side of the road from Jima to Mizan (227 km), as well as consultancy services for the supervision of the road upgrading works, consultancy services for the audit and compensation payment to people affected by the road project.

Value
The cost of the upgrade is estimated at $98-million. The African Development Bank (AfDB) will loan-finance 64% of the project, while the Ethiopian government will finance the remaining 36%.

Duration
The project is expected to take three years to complete, with work starting in January 2008.

Breakdown of main contracts
The civil works contract will be packaged in two lots to be procured under international competitive bidding procedures, with prequalification of the contractors.

Consultancy services for the supervision of civil works will be acquired on the basis of two short-lists of qualified consulting firms, one for each lot of civil works.

Project audit services will be procured on the basis of a short list of auditing firms.

Client
Ethiopian Roads Agency (ERA).

Latest developments
None stated.

Participants
AfDB.

On budget and on time?
Too early to state.

Contact details for project information
ERA, tel +251 1 156603, fax +251 1 514866 or email era@ethionet.et .