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In Pictures: Ethiopia's Gotera Project
Ethiopia's Gotera intersection project (photos: jimmatimes)

In Pictures: Ethiopia's Gotera Project

Jimma Times

About 18 years ago, over 200 Ethiopians living near the Gotera neighborhood in Addis Ababa died when the Gotera ammunition depot exploded during an incident following the military victory of the EPRDF rebels and Eritrea's EPLF separatist forces over the Mengistu Ethiopian government. Since the new government arrived, the Gotera neighborhood has not been a beneficiary of the major facelift most other areas of the capital city have, until the current Gotera interchange project began about two years ago.

View Gotera Junction Project - In Pictures

One of the several ambitious projects by the Addis Abeba City Roads Administration (AACRA), the new intersection is expected to reduce traffic congestion and improve the city's image. But it has been a work in progress for longer than expected and the lack of safe and better alternative routes have created one of the worst traffic flows in the country.

The massive construction project, that some critics say is very poorly planned, has brought several social and environmental problems, badly impacting residents and businesses. Yet, it has been seen as a long-term investment for the development of the country as well as a short-term employment opportunity for many Ethiopians.

CLICK HERE to view this week's pictures

If you are a photojournalist from Ethiopia or would like to have your work published (whether you live in Ethiopia or the Diaspora), send your pictures to co-editors [@] jimmatimes. com or jimmatimes [@] yahoo. com to share your experiences in pictures or to be recognized for your work as a photojournalist.

Chinese and Ethiopian construction workers pose for a photo

Post A Comment
Comments 18 comments for this article
  <<  <   1  |  2   >  >>
Added: February 22, 2009. 08:22 PM GMT
gotera looks like a mess when i went there last time
i feel bad for people who lived there
Anonymous
Added: February 22, 2009. 09:23 PM GMT
good pics, we need more stuff like this from back home
DR
Added: February 22, 2009. 10:05 PM GMT
Do NOT be fooled real ethiopians. what is the use of this projects financed by borrowing?? the anti-ethiopia Woyane is doing all these projects with loans that will be big burden on ethiopia for many years to come after Tigray becomes independent
Eritrean
Added: February 22, 2009. 10:47 PM GMT
Eritrean,

What are you talking about Tigray independence? Let alone Tigray, every your Eritrea is going to be part of Ethiopia very soon. Watch my word!
Anonymous
Added: February 23, 2009. 12:15 AM GMT
Ethiopia has a great future peple let us unite and build our country
we are already top 10 bigest GDP in africa and we can become #1 in africa in a fewyears
bekele
Added: February 23, 2009. 12:49 AM GMT
des
We travelled from the bole area a and had to pass thru this Gotera construction area. They have assigned re-route or detour controllers and signalers, but the detour is not paved and in some cases filled with sharp edged rocks. It was also unbearably muddy. Passing thru was slow, frustrating and tiring. Pity the Addisabans who have to face this everywhere in that city these days. Yes, I witnessed how to not worsen traffic conditions during the constructions is not thought through.
Anonymous
Added: February 23, 2009. 01:05 AM GMT
not bad, the photo of chinese workers with ethiopians is cute
Anonymous
Added: February 23, 2009. 03:07 AM GMT
there is no job
The workers do everything very very slow bcause they know they will not find a job in ethiopia after they finish this project

unemployment is over 70% in the city so who can blame them?
Bole
Added: February 23, 2009. 02:20 PM GMT
well, the intersection is very confusing. the reason such complexx intersections in America or Europe are very easy to understand is because the surrounding areas have well-known town/street/avenue adress NAMES or NUMBERS in america/europe.

But in ethiopia, HOW are the drivers going to know which branch of the jumbled road network will take them to where? this is going to create many angry drivers
Getu
Added: February 23, 2009. 06:06 PM GMT
keep moving forward mama ethiopia!!
Anonymous
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