Project # 042 - Sebara Dildiy Suspended Bridge

Location: Ethiopia, Amhara Province, Mota Wereda
Bridge Sponsor: Rotary clubs of Gloucester, Gloucester Point, and Falls
Church Virginia. The Rotary Club of Bahir Dar and the Rotary Foundation.
Partners: Helvetas Ethiopia, Amhara Rural Roads Authority, and Mota Wereda
Volunteers: Mark and Lucas Lautman, Bill and Ryan Ellen, Ken and Brendan Frantz
Dedications: Rotarians Harry Corr and Abigail Woodhouse

Bridge name: Sebara Dildiy
River name: Blue Nile (Abay Wenz)
Bridge span: 103 meters / 340 feet
Population served by bridge: 250,000 people

Bridge Story: See earlier descriptions and history for this bridge Project 001 and Project 021.

With the increased deforestation, flood waters keep getting higher and higher in the Nile gorge. Hence, it is not longer possible to repair the old 1640 structure. To do so would require that the entire masonry bridge be raised vertically about 20 feet. So, a new cable suspended bridge will be built a few hundred feet upstream. The new cable bridge will be placed far above potential flood waters.

For a feature newspaper story about this project, see: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3