The Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) plans to begin the $2.4bn birr Hagere mariam – Moyale road project that connects Ethiopia to Kenya.

The road will play a key role in terms of trade and commerce as it passes through major coffee-growing areas in the Southern Nations Nationalities and People’s Regional State.

The project is a part of the 10,000km Cairo – Gaborone – Cape Town trans-boundary highway, the longest main highway links in Africa and is expected to be one of Africa’s major trans-boundary highways, stretching up to Port of Mombassa.

ERA has already conducted the environmental impact assessment and rehabilitation study for the project.

Ethiopian authorities are seeking financial assistance from the African Development Bank, according to the website capitalethiopia.com.