Abstract

Roads are considered efficient in transportation system to provide quick, short and medium distance services for the socioeconomic development of the country. They are life line for the remote areas where supply and exchange of goods and services are performed by roads. The distribution of roads is not homogenous and orderly fashion to stimulate sectors of economy of developing countries. The present study was conducted in Ethiopia keeping consideration of the objectives to assess growth and distribution of roads by area, population, and to explain causes for regional variations of road development. Secondary data were used for geographical analysis of Ethiopian roads distribution and interregional variations between 1992 and 2009. The analysis of the data reflects that growth of constructed roads was 9.86% per year and it was 34.69% during 1993-1994. There was high share of well connected kebeles (73-92%) by community roads in Tigray and Afar regional states. However, availability of roads per 1000 km 2 was higher 96.2 km in Southern Nations Nationalities People Region and Dare Dawa. The length of kebele roads by inhabited area and by high accessibility within 2 km from the roads was in southern and western states.