Transport in Ethiopia

Over the last years, the Ethiopian federal authorities have significantly increased funding for rail and road construction to build an infrastructure, that allows better economic development.

The railway network serves a strategic goal to allow Ethiopia a sustainable and stable economic development.

[1] The railway network's primary purpose is then both to connect landlocked Ethiopia to the world market by ensuring a seamless access to one or several sea ports for trade and for transporting most imports and exports.

Once operational by the end of 2017 or in 2018, it will allow passenger transport and a travel time from Addis Ababa to Djibouti City in less than twelve hours with a designated speed of 120 km/hour.

A train ride from Addis Ababa to the twin cities of Kombolcha and Dessie will be possible in around six hours with a designated speed of 120 km/hour.

As a result, as of 2002 Ethiopia has a total (federal and regional) 33,297 km of roads, both paved and gravel.

[8] The Ethiopian government had begun the second part of the Road Sector Development Program, which was completed in 2007.

[9] In 2024, the Ministry of Transport and Communications announced that they will ban combustion engined vehicle imports.

Major roads include: No 1: north east from Addis Ababa 853 km via Adama and Awash to Bure on Eritrean border No 2: north from Addis Ababa 1071 km via Dessie, Mek'ele and Adigrat to Axum No 3: north west from Addis Ababa across the Blue Nile at Dejen and again at Bahir Dar east around Lake Tana 737 km to Gondar.

Designated part of the Cairo-Cape Town Trans-African Highway 4 (TAH 4) No 9: south from Adama 77 km to Asella No 10: east from Awash 572 km via Harar and Jijiga to Degehabur The Addis Ababa–Adama Expressway was completed in 2014 as the first expressway in Ethiopia.

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.

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.