Abstract
The road sector in Ethiopia continues to develop its road network throughout the country at a tremendous rate with the aim of connecting all kebeles (administrative districts) to nearby higher class roads using all-weather gravel road solutions. These should provide access to the rural areas where most of the country's population is found, by means of the universal rural road access program (URRAP). Currently, Ethiopia is constructing many URRAP road projects which are susceptible to defects and there is not enough study that addresses the frequent causes. This study investigated the nature and causes of defects based on extensively reviewed literature, questionnaire responses, site visits and design reviews on two selected road projects, as well as in an interview with professionals. The major defects identified are poor vertical alignment and excessive road gradient, stoniness of the surface, inconsistency of road character without warning signs, poor drainage elements and aggregate loss. It was concluded that the lack of a prompt payment system, an ineffective project management system, inadequate and experienced human resources on the owner side, together with design error and omissions and insufficient data for design and construction in predicting underground conditions were some of the critical factors causing defects. The major causes of defects were shared 40 % by the consultant and 60% by the client.
Highlights
Ethiopia is a country with a population of 85.2 million people, eighty-three percent of whom live in the rural areas
Exploratory study was conducted in Konta/Woreda Kirara Mojo-Bakfarda and Duka-Zala-Koda-Maji universal rural road access program (URRAP) construction projects in Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region
Exploratory study revealed the prevalence of problems on URRAP road projects and the major defects identified are poor vertical alignment & steep grade sections, lack of appropriate on-site measurement during construction, lack of adequate material tests, limited sight distance, sharp curves and inadequate and unsafe clear zone, problems in cross drainage structures, ditch and check dams
Summary
Ethiopia is a country with a population of 85.2 million people, eighty-three percent of whom live in the rural areas. The road sector development program was enacted in 1997 and accomplished the plan for the last 15 years in three phases. Unlike earlier phases of the Road Sector Development Program (RSDP), RSDP IV places a high emphasis on the construction of engineered low volume roads and includes a major investment in Woreda and kebele access roads under the universal rural road access program (FDREMTERA, 2011[2]). The objective of Universal Rural Road Access Program is to connect all kebeles by road with all-weather, year-round access; this is designed to improve rural livelihoods by reducing the isolation of rural populations from their markets, social centers and other services centers. The programme aimed to construct gravel roads with low cost mechanism by using local materials and labour force
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