Fujian Highway Sector Investment

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The China Fujian Highway Sector Investment Project aims to increase the effective use o f the road infrastructure in Fujian Province to support its social and economic development. This objective seeks to contribute to: (1) improving living conditions in rural areas -particularly those in the areas of the Province where poverty rates are higher- by enhancing the transport accessibility of the rural communities to economic opportunities and social services; (2) stimulating higher economic growth in Fujian Province by reducing transport costs; and (3) facilitating the interconnection across the coastal provinces. There are four components. . (1) The Rural Roads Improvement Program (RRIP) aims at improving conditions of the lower class of roads that connect administrative villages to the main provincial road network. (2) The Yong'an - Wuping Expressway (YWE) connects Yong'an (Sanming Prefecture) with the border of the Fujian and Guangdong Provinces, at Yanqian in Wuping city (Longyan Prefecture). This component includes the acquisition and installation of electrical and mechanical (E&M) works and the construction of buildings and annex areas for service and safety operations. The expressway will consist of four lanes that have been designed for a speed of 80 km/hr in the mountainous terrain from Yong'an to Liancheng, and of 100 km/hr in the remaining section. (3) The Highways Maintenance Pilot Program (HMPP) component consists of maintenance by contract in two highway sections of the (nonexpressway) provincial highway network. (4) The Institutional Strengthening Program includes a study on toll rates, the impact evaluation and monitoring for the RRIP, the technical assistance for the HMPP, and training for staff of the agencies and institutions involved in the project.