A5 road (Ethiopia)

The A5 Road goes through southwestern Ethiopia and links the capital city Addis Ababa with Metu. The route displays a zig-zag layout, first moving south-west from Addis Ababa to Jimma, then a winding course northwards and westwards finally ending at Metu town. The eastern part of this major highway connecting Addis Ababa to Welkite runs on top of flat land making it one among the few straight roads found in Ethiopian Highlands. After reaching Welkite, the road begins to curve more till it arrives at Jimma. On this segment of Jimma-Metu section, there is no clear understanding about its entire bitumen surface as such; however, it is said to be secondary in status.^[6]

The construction of the road from Addis Ababa to Jimma was one of the main roads in Ethiopia during the period of Italian colonialism. Afterwards, part of the route between Addis Ababa and Metu became known as Route 7 but its western part changed from the current A5. In detail, it moved from Jimma to Mizam Teferi which then turned northwards towards Metu, covering an overall distance of 720 kilometers. When a road renumbering system was introduced around 2013, the route from Jimma to Metu was transformed into a shortened, secondary link road while significant upgrading works took place along the western section up until Jimma between 2006 and 2012 that included major asphaltization activities. The modernization effort enhanced the road's quality and connectivity, reflecting the evolution of Ethiopia's transportation infrastructure.^[5][2]