Ethiopia to Build 34 Km Light Railway Transit (LRT) System to Transport 80,000 People Per Hour
Photo: Addis Ababa Light Rail Train at Mexico Square
By Dawit Taye
Jan. 18, 2013
2.6 bln birr slated for interchanges, roundabouts
With a view to ensure smooth traffic flow in the metropolis, the Addis Ababa City Roads Authority (AACRA) has budgeted some 2.6 billion birr for the construction of interchanges and roundabouts that are part of the Addis Ababa Light Railway Transit (LRT) project. The project is expected to be financed by the Addis Ababa City Administration and the federal government.So far, the budget for the construction has not been secured. Once the funding is obtained AACRA intends to award the project to a construction company without issuing a bid.
The city roads authority has plans to invite experienced and capable international contractors to undertake the difficult project, Engineer Fekade Haile, general manager of AACRA, told The Reporter.
“We expect to commence the project in April once a contractor is selected,” he added.
Fekade said that the main challenge will be the major water pipelines that are found around the Megenagna and Mexico Square areas.
It is to be recalled that representatives of the Ethiopian Railway Corporation (ERC) and China Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC), the Chinese company that is undertaking the LRT project, expressed concern that unless the interchanges and roundabouts are constructed alongside the LRT the execution of the project will be delayed.
The LRT, which has a total length of 34.35 km, has two routes – a 16.9-km section running from north to south, and a 17.35-km section stretching from east to west. The two sections run parallel for 2.7 km.
The LRT will have a total of 41 cars, each with the capacity to carry 286 passengers at a time. This will enable the LRT to provide transportation to 15,000 people an hour, in one direction, and 60,000 in all four directions.
Photo: Addis Ababa Light Rail Train at Mexico Square
Photo: Addis Ababa Light Rail Train at Urael Square
The project is expected to consume more than USD 400 million, with the Ethiopian government covering 15 percent of the cost, and the Chinese Export and Import (EXIM) bank covering the remaining.
Source: The Reporter
Details of Addis Ababa light rail project
The detailed design shows the rail route, which commences from Adwa Square, will be an underground tunnel stretching up to two kilometers.
“As a result, the statue of King Menelik will remain intact,” Dr Getachew Betru, director of ERC, said at a press conference held jointly with other stakeholders on Thursday, November 29, 2012.
“The statue will not be affected by the project neither during the construction nor operations phase,” the director stressed.
The construction, however, will not spare the statue of St Abune Petros, which was erected in 1941 in memory of the archbishop of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church who was killed by fascist Italian invaders for his support of the national patriots’ movement against Italian aggressors.
“The statue of his holiness will be removed during the construction phase as it is en route the underground tunnel,” Getachew said. “But this is only temporary and it will be erected once the construction is completed.”
The contractor, China Railway Group Limited (CREC), had fenced the area and digging of a 20 meters deep tunnel for the concrete wall is underway.
Gebrestadik Hagos, head of the city’s Culture and Tourism Bureau, said a committee, which will oversea the removal and subsequent reinstatement of the statue of St. Abune Petros is set up. The committee is comprised of the city’s Culture and Tourism Bureau, Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage Authority, Addis Ababa City Roads Authority and ERC.
“The task of removing and temporarily erecting the statue at the national museum will be delicately carried out,” Yonas Desta, Director of Addis Ababa Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage Authority, said on the occasion. “The statue will be reinstated at exactly the same place,” Yonas assured.
Design
of the Urael area – The two line rail tracks extend 17.35Km from east
to west direction stretching from Ayat Village to Tor Hailoch passing
through Megenagna, Legehar and Mexico. In the north to south direction, a
16.9Km rail track will pass through Menelik Square, Merkato, Lideta,
Legehar, Meskel Square, Gotera and Kaliti.
Design
of the Mexico round about – The Addis Ababa Light Rail Transit will
have a total of 41 rails each with a capacity to carry 286 passengers.
This will enable the light rail transit to provide transportation
service to 15,000 people per hour in one direction and 60,000 in all
four directions.
The Addis Ababa Light Rail Transit will have a total of 41 rails each with a capacity to carry 286 passengers. This will enable the light rail transit to provide transportation service to 15,000 people per hour in one direction and 60,000 in all four directions.
The corporation plans to complete 42 percent of the total project this budget year, including 80 percent of soil and civil works.
Background:
Addis Ababa Light Rail Transit (AA-LRT) Project
- Electrified light rail transit
- Total length of 34.25 km (North-South line 16.9 km and East-West line 17.35 km)
- Two lines (i.e. North-South and East-West lines) use common track of about 2.7km.
- Standard Gauge (1.435 meters) and Double track for the whole route
- Capacity of 80,000 PPH (Passenger/hr)
- Performs on steep gradient and sharp curves
- Urban Mass Transport for Addis Ababa city
- Enhances the image of Addis Ababa as the political capital of Africa
- Reduces carbon dioxide emission (environmentally friendly)
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