Antananarivo, 5 Nov (Xinhua) -- The signing ceremony for the final handover of the Iwatu-Zahashocha highway project in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, undertaken by a Chinese-funded enterprise, was held in Antananarivo on 5 November, marking the successful completion of the final handover of this fast highway connecting the city's urban areas and airports.
Dozens of guests from Malagasy, including Jerry Hatrevendrazana, Minister of Public Works of Madagascar, Guo Xiaomei, Chinese Envoy to Madagascar, and others attended the ceremony.
According to Zhongjia, general manager of the Madagascar branch of China Harbor Engineering Co., Ltd., the starting point of the project, Tsahatsocha, is located in the main urban area of Antananarivo, and the end point is Ivatu International Airport in the northwest suburbs of the city, with a total length of 10.93 kilometers, the entire highway is a two-way two-lane road, and the design speed of the main road section is 60 kilometers per hour. The whole line includes 1 bridge and 26 culverts, and 85% of the project funds come from preferential loans from the Export-Import Bank of China.
According to reports, the completion of the Antananarivo City Airport Expressway will shorten the travel time between the city of Antananarivo and the airport from the original two hours to 10 to 15 minutes. (End)