A 6.3 billion Br road project connecting Modjo with Batu, also known as Ziway, was inaugurated late last week during a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD). Costing 68.4 million Br a kilometre, the 92Km Modjo-Meqi-Batu Expressway is part of the Modjo-Hawassa superhighway, a 202Km road project that was commenced five years ago with an outlay of almost 14 billion Br. The second half of the two-phase construction project, dubbed the Batu-Hawassa Expressway, is currently under construction. The Modjo-Hawassa Expressway is expected to enhance trade and cooperation, particularly with Kenya. It is also part of the Trans-African Highway network that stretches from Cairo to Cape Town and comprises transcontinental road projects to facilitate regional cooperation and trade.