the cableway was built by the italian engineering firm ceretti and tanfani s.a. in eritrea. it connected the port of massawa with the city of italian asmara and ran a distance of nearly 72 kilometres. it also moved food, supplies and war materials for the imperial italian army, which had also conquered ethiopia in 1936. in august 1936 was opened the first section of 26.6 km from ghinda to godaif, a suburb of asmara.