Based on the initiation of the Ethiopian Government, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology has been engaged in the Universal Rural Road Access Program (URRAP) being run over the country.
In this regard, the institute via the duly established URRAP- Consulting unit under the Faculty of Civil and Water Resources Engineering has been involved in the program in the following modes of services:
1. Design of low volume roads and the conjugate road water conveying structures
2. Supervise construction of the designed roads and road water conveying structures
3. Community service to work onprogram productivity revitalization over the regionby providing professional trainings and free consultancy services
Such services have been provided in three Woreda’sin West Gojam Zone, such as South Achefer, North Achefer and Mecha.
The faculty has presented its four years progress report on 25 Aug, 2015 to the institute higher officials. In the report, the challenges faced and achievements gainedduring the four year progress were addressed well and then a due discussion about the report and the prospects of the consultancy service was undertaken.
Based on the report, it has been indicated that the institute has able to:
· design a total of 234.84 km road out of which the construction of 223 km of the designed roads is completed under the institute supervision,
· takedesign contract of 20 bridges out of which design of 2 bridges is completed, where as the design of the remaining 18 bridges is on progress.
· made a great contribution by supervising the construction of Shinbudi Bridge and Jemma Bridges in MechaWoreda. These two bridges being inaugurated on May-2014 and May-2015 respectively in the presence of the Regional, Zonal and Woreda higher officials, the institute management body and the vast majority of the society. The bridges are now open for service.
· boost the productivity of URRAP program in the region by providing trainings and professional suggestions to concerned bodies.
The institute has generated a gross income of about 7 million from this project.More than 25 academicstaffs and many supportive staff have been involved in the program. The academic staff has got a chance to support themselves to entertain their knowledge in the real-time engineering world which in turn adds value to the teaching-learning process.All in all, the program has helped the institute to decrease the staff overturn, generate income, transferideas to the community, solve problems of the community, and build its image.
