Transport in Eritrea

This article summarizes characteristics of a number of forms of transport in the coastal African nation of Eritrea.

Railways

. Rehabilitation of the remainder and of the rolling stock has occurred in recent years. By 2003 the line had been restored from Massawa all the way through to Asmara.

Railway links with adjacent countries

* Djibouti - no - break of gauge - 950mm/1000mm
* Ethiopia - no - break of gauge - 950mm/1000mm
* Sudan - no - break of gauge - 950mm/1067mm - defunct
* Yemen - no - via proposed Red Sea bridge [ [http://enr.construction.com/news/intl/archives/070501.asp Notice-to-Proceed Launches Ambitious Red Sea Crossing - ENR | McGraw-Hill Construction ] ] - break of gauge - 950mm/1435mm - via Djibouti

Links

* [http://railwaynews.blogspot.com/search/label/Eritrea]

Highways

The Eritrean highway system is named according to the road classification. The three levels of classification are: primary (P), secondary (S), and tertiary (T). The lowest level road is tertiary and serves local interests. Typically they are improved earth roads which are occasionally paved. During the wet seasons these roads typically become impassable. The next higher level road is a secondary road and typically is a single-layered asphalt road that connects district capitals together and those to the regional capitals. Roads that are considered primary roads are those that are fully asphalted (throughout their entire length) and in general they carry traffic between all the major towns in Eritrea.

"total:"4,010 km
"paved:"874 km
"unpaved:"3,136 km (1996 est.)

Seaports and harbours

Red Sea

* Asseb (Aseb)
* Massawa (Mits'iwa)

Merchant marine

"total:"5 ships (with a volume of GRT|1,000|first=yes or over) totaling GRT|16,069/DWT|19,549|metric|first=yes
"ships by type:"
bulk carrier 1, cargo ship 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off ship 1 (1999 est.)

Airports

There are three international airports, one in the capital, Asmara International Airport and the two others in the coastal cities, Massawa (Massawa International Airport) and Assab (Assab International Airport). The airport in Asmara receives all international flights into the country as of March 2007, as well as being the main airport for domestic flights.

21 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

"total:"3
"over 3,047 m:"2
"2,438 to 3,047 m:"1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

"total:"18
"over 3,047 m:"2
"2,438 to 3,047 m:"2
"1,524 to 2,437 m:"6
"914 to 1,523 m:"6
"under 914 m:"2 (1999 est.)

Cableway

The Asmara-Massawa Cableway, built by Italy in the 1930s, connected the port of Massawa with the city of Asmara. The British later dismantled it during their eleven year occupation after defeating Italy in World War II.

Tramway

There is believed to have been a Tramway (steam) in Massawa, see List of town tramway systems in Africa and Asia under Eritrea.

References

ee also

* Eritrea