Project # 014 - Arba Bridge

Location: Ethiopia; Oromia Region; Arsi Woreda (South east of Addis 4 hours by jeep)
Bridge Sponsor: Rotary Club of Virginia Beach, Virginia
Other Donors: 22 Rotary clubs from Virginia and Washington State; Rotary International; District 7610; Bridges to Prosperity Members.
Local Collaboration partners: Oromia Rural Roads Authority

Bridge name: Arba
River name: Arba
Bridge span: 77 meters (253 feet)
Population served by bridge: 10,000
Expected traffic: Light-Moderate: 25-50 crossings per hour.

Bridge Story: Past the lush grounds of the large Metahara Sugar Factory, the river Arba flows through what is mostly arid, demoralizing landscape. The local people are pastoralists: they have only their cattle; goats; and the rich a camel. They sell charcoal in grain bags marked "USA" on the roadside – though the only vehicle that passes is the oversized, banged-up and ancient Mercedes dump truck that has probably plied that route for a decade carrying passengers from the town of Metahara to the next Woreda across the river. The next Woreda town is an 8 hour walk from the river. Most people walk. No one walks or takes the truck during the rainy season. They are forced to pay town prices at Metahara, which they can't afford, or stock up before the rains come, hoping rot doesn't take their carefully stowed provisions away. From the far side of the bridge, the Woreda town of Achara, no person can seek medical attention, nor higher education, nor any other of the basic ingredients of improvement of quality of life.

Bridges to Prosperity, in co-operation with the Oromia Rural Roads Authority have recognized the need of these people and have decided to help train them and build Bridge # 07 in the Ethiopia Footbridge Program. Here, a small plaque will thank the Rotary Club of Virginia Beach (along with a matching grant from Rotary International) for its generosity for donating the steel and cable.