# Erigavo-Burao Road Construction Set to Commence: 2014 Report

> Somaliland Sun reported on 23 Feb 2014 that Erigavo-Burao road construction was set to commence, but gave no start date or contractor.

- By: Editorial Team, Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com/about)
- Published: 1 October 2026
- Format: News story (reported from one named public source)
- Publication: Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com)
- Subject: Infrastructure and Services
- Tags: roads, procurement
- Web version: https://somaliconstructionreview.com/blog/erigavo-burao-road-construction-set-2014-report

## Key points

- On 23 February 2014, Somaliland Sun reported that construction of the Erigavo to Burao road was set to commence soon.
- The report detailed funds at hand totaling $1,817,699 and pledges exceeding $4 million, but its reconciliation is unclear.
- The article did not confirm actual construction start or completion after that date.

On 23 February 2014, Somaliland Sun reported that construction of a road linking Erigavo to Burao was set to commence soon. The article, by Yusuf M Hasan, described a ceremony at the Roads Development premises in Hargeisa where earthmovers procured for the eastern regions road were displayed.

The road is over 300 km long, according to the report. The overall budget was around $17 million, at $250,000 per km for a quality highway, a figure the report attributes to Randolph, a DFID-EU sponsored New Zealander roads consultant. Randolph was contracted to assist with designing a master roads management plan and drafting a Road Act.

The report states that the Roads Development Agency (RDA) managed four accounts holding public contributions: Central bank $672,000, Zaad $3,093, Salaam $5, and Dahabshil $1,142,601. It gives a consolidated total at hand of $1,817,699, but the line items do not reconcile to that figure. The report also says that not a penny of the collected funds had been touched so far, according to RDA, the Erigavo road construction committee and the presidency minister.

Diaspora fundraising had realized $37,000 in cash at hand, said Sadia Muse Ahmed, head of the Erigavo road construction funds collection committee. Pledges amounted to over $4 million, expected "anytime now." Specific pledges included: civil servants $2,500,000 with $672,000 at hand; cabinet $100,000; King Buurmadow 100 heads of camels; Erigavo community $100,000 and 40,000 heads of livestock; parliament $100,000; East Hargeisa community $100,000 and 1,200 heads of livestock; Ministry of Education $120,000; and Saudi Arabia diaspora $100,000.

The central government contribution was $4,000,000 apart from equipment procured, part of which would be used to construct a 100 km stretch of the road. The report did not clarify whether that $4,000,000 was cash at hand or a pledge.

Hirsi Haji Ali, the presidency minister overseeing RDA, was acknowledged as the "Doctor of Somaliland roads." The report said further equipment was expected soon to augment those already in place and that the Erigavo road construction was to commence soon.

The article does not establish whether construction actually commenced after that announcement. It does not name a contractor or implementing agency, nor give a start date or timeline.

## Questions

### What was the status of the Erigavo-Burao road project on 23 February 2014?

According to Somaliland Sun, construction was set to commence soon, with earthmovers procured and funds at hand. The article did not confirm that construction had started.

### Who was funding the Erigavo-Burao road?

The report listed public contributions, government allocation, pledges from civil servants, cabinet, parliament, communities, and diaspora, but did not give a complete reconciled funding picture.

### How much funding was available for the road?

The report gave a consolidated at-hand total of $1,817,699, but the line items do not reconcile. It also mentioned pledges over $4 million and a central government contribution of $4,000,000 of unclear status.

## Sources

- [Somaliland: Erigavo Burao Road Construction Set for Commencement](https://somalilandsun.com/somaliland-erigavo-burao-road-construction-set-for-commencement/) — Somaliland Sun, 2014-02-23