The Dire Dawa with Dewale toll road, which became partly operational earlier this year, is expected to facilitate the export-import trade of Ethiopia. The upgrading of the previously gravel road into asphalt toll road has reduced the journey time from Dire Dawa to Dewele to four hours from ten hours.
The new road, which was built with a total government investment of 5.2 billion birr (about $ 180.5 million), is part of the express road linking Djibouti with Addis Ababa. The new express road is the second segment to be completed after the Addis Ababa – Adama Express road.
Ethiopia and Djibouti have been connected by the new Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway since last year. Before that, Djibouti and Ethiopia were had been connected by the – Chemin de Fer Djibouto-Éthiopien, which was inaugurated by Ethiopia’s Emperor Menelik II in 1901.
