Government-World Bank launch roads improvement programme

Kathmandu, Nov. 22

The Government of Nepal and the World Bank jointly launched phase 1 of the US$128 million (Rs. 17.15 billion) Provincial and Local Roads Improvement Programme.

“The project aims to enhance the connectivity, efficiency, resilience and safety of Nepal’s provincial and local road network while also strengthening the government's ability to manage the road network,” the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) and the World Bank informed in a joint statement on Thursday. The MoUD will implement the programme in coordination with the provincial and local levels.

The project was launched in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Urban Development, Prakash Man Singh and provincial ministers of physical infrastructure and development from Sudurpashchim, Karnali and Madhes provinces.

“This project promotes the spirit of federalism embodied in the constitution bringing together the three tiers of government to work for the benefit of Nepalis. The project's focus on environment-friendly and climate-resilient construction techniques and five-year maintenance component is key to supporting sustainable infrastructure development,” said DPM Singh.

According to the statement, the first phase of the project will upgrade and improve 180km of selected provincial roads and bridges, undertake maintenance of 400km and 700km of existing provincial roads and bridges respectively,and construct 100km of all-weather roads and bridges to provide connectivity to prioritised municipalities and local levels.

"This project will help improve Nepal's road infrastructure with a focus on resilience, and safety," said David Sislen, World Bank Regional Country Director for Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

The project will be implemented in Sudurpashchim, Karnali, and Madhes provinces and 13 municipalities which will be scaled up in future phases. About one million people are expected to benefit from improved access to all-weather, resilient, and safe provincial and local roads and bridges.

At the launch event, a tri-partite memorandum of understanding was signed between the federal, provincial, and local governments of Sudurpashchim, Karnali, and Madhes provinces for the implementation of the project.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 23 November 2024.