Eritrea launches first phase of Habela-Cheatat road project

The first phase of the Habela-Cheatat road project road project has been launched in Habela, Eritrea. The road construction project that is being undertaken by Chinese Company SFECO, will be accomplished within two years and will cover 30km from Habela to Cheatat.

Habela-Cheatat road project

While launching the project, Mr. Hagos Gebrehiwet, head of the PFDJ Economic Affairs and Mr. Abraha Asfeha, Minister of Public Works, indicated that the old road connecting Asmara with Gash Barka region passing through keren was very narrow and with rolling mountainous topography that limits the driving speed and open to high risk.

Mr. Yang Zigang, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Eritrea noted that since the establishment of diplomatic relation in 1993, Eritrea and China cooperation has been strengthened continuously. He further indicated that the ‘SFECO’ Construction Company has vast experience and capacity to construct the road, plus the Eritrean nationals that join the program will gain substantial experience.

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Road classifications

This mountainous segment will be constructed on the basis of the Chinese Government concessional loan. The Eritrean highway system is named according to the road classification. The three levels of classification are: primary (P), secondary (S), and tertiary (T). The lowest level road is tertiary and serves local interests. Typically they are improved earth roads which are occasionally paved.

During the wet seasons these roads typically become impassable. The next higher level road is a secondary road and typically is a single-layered asphalt road that connects district capitals together and those to the regional capitals.

Roads that are considered primary roads are those that are fully asphalted (throughout their entire length) and in general they carry traffic between all the major cities and towns in Eritrea. Mr. Abraha went on to say that the new road will be of high standard and it will shorten the existing Asmara-Akordet road by 20km and that will have strategic economic importance.