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Rural Roads Project will improve the Quality of Life in Rural Albania
2008-06-30
The World Bank Board of Directors approved a US$20 million credit for the Secondary and Local Roads Project in Albania to improve access to essential services and economic markets, especially in rural areas, by improving the condition, management, and financing of regional and local roads in the country. The project will also support the introduction of the private sector in road maintenance on the road network. Through this project, the Bank will also act as a catalyst for mobilizing other donor financing in this sector.
“A recent survey noted that after employment and income, the majority of rural respondents considered poor road access as the biggest problem they faced, making it difficult to reach markets, providing no incentive to increase agricultural production, and inhibiting the delivery of health and education services,” said Martin Humphreys, Task Team Leader. “This project represents a substantive first step to removing this impediment and making a real impact on the quality of life for rural inhabitants. It will also contribute to placing the management and financing of the regional and local road network on a sustainable path for the future.”
The project has three main components:
1. Civil works associated with the improvement of priority sections of the secondary (regional) road network;
2. Civil works associated with the improvement of priority sections of the local (commune) road network; and
3. Implementation and Institutional Support.
The total cost of the Project is US$40 million, with US$20 million coming from an IDA Credit, US$15 million from the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), and US$5 million being provided by the Government in counterpart financing.
Original article from World Bank website.
