Chinese company Sinohydro on Monday completed a road-upgrading project, the Assela-Dodola junction, about 220 km south of Addis Ababa, capital city of Ethiopia.

The road that runs from Assela town to Dodola covers about 116 km and the upgrading work has been carried out with an outlay of 508 million Ethiopian birr (about 57.2 million U. S. dollars) within four years.

The road which has been upgraded to asphalt was completed on schedule with consulting firms of Saba Engineering and a Finnish company.

At Bekojee town in the middle of Assela and Dodola during a ceremony organized in connection with the completion of the project, Zhang Taofeng, project manager, told reporters that the Assela-Dodola junction is part of the Nazareth-Assela-Dodola and Shashemene-Goba Road. The project manager said the company has given high attention to the quality, stressing on the rapid progress of the project for timely completion.

He said Chinese companies have constructed many roads in Ethiopia, which bridge and promote the friendship between China and Ethiopia.

"We are all here to witness the successful completion of this project, which is 117 km after four years of hard-work of all of us. Today, I am so happy. At this exciting moment, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to the Ethiopian government, Ethiopian Road Authority, local administration and consult site, even all of my local staff. Because of your help and response, we successfully complete this project," he said.

Girma Haile, assistant resident engineer of Saba engineering, one of the consulting firms, said the project has significant benefit to the local people.

Though there was a little delay in the beginning, the project has been successful, said Girma.

Sisay Tadesse, deputy mayor of Bekojee town, said the asphalt road is of great significance to the local economic activities.

"The project creates market links for the local community, especially for those who supply commodities for brewery factories, " he said.

Some of the local people told reporters that they are extremely happy about the road which has been upgraded to a two-lane highway in asphalt.

Kemso Duresa lives in Bekojee town through which the road crosses from Assela to Dodola.

She said the local people are very happy about the project.

"I am very happy about this unction which is a two-lane road. I can't express my joy when I have a look at it standing by its side. It is very nice road," she said.