Addis Abeba will soon get a traffic control centre, which will keep an up-to-date situational picture of road traffic, traffic control and traffic information, with an investment of 831 million Br.

Having four underground floors, the centre will be located at Megenagna and will be built by China Communication Construction Company (CCCC). It is expected to be completed after one and a half years.

The centre will be equipped with offices, a traffic control room, information processing units, crime control units, accident registration offices and media outlets. It will also have a restaurant, a transport museum, a gymnasium, a library and parking space that can accommodate 300 vehicles, according to the design.

Security and traffic control equipment will be installed in the centre, and large screen televisions will be positioned at the centre of the traffic control floor to monitor the city’s traffic activities, according to city's Transport Bureau.

The centre provides information to drivers on current traffic conditions, so that they can seek alternative routes, identify traffic law violators, ensure smooth traffic flow and promptly transmit safety information to the relevant agencies.

CCCC has secured the project after winning the bid that was announced by the transport bureau two months ago. Four companies qualified by meeting technical specifications and reached the financial opening stage, where CCCC was announced as the lowest bidder.

The Chinese firm, which was previously engaged in the construction of Kombolcha Industrial Park, Addis-Adama Expressway, Africa Avenue (Bole Road) and the expansion of the Addis Abeba Bole International Airport, began site clearing and mobilisation last week.

Skyline Consultancy Architects and Engineers Plc, a local consultancy firm in the business for 13 years with a track record of working on construction supervision of the Ethio telecom building, Morning Star Mall and Cinema House Administration Enterprise, will supervise the construction of the traffic centre.

Fully funded by the City Administration, the project will be managed and overseen by the Addis Abeba City Construction Bureau.

Addis Abeba Transport Bureau has started installing cameras on different roads, according to Aregawi Maru, communications team leader of the Bureau.