Roads 2 Project

closed

The main objective of the Second Roads Project, the first phase of a two-pronged highway improvement strategy, is to support and speed up the modernization of the road sector according to the policy initiated by Poland under the First Roads Project. The project components cover the three main areas (policy, institutional, and physical investments) of Poland's 1996-2000 Road Investment Program (RIP). The first component, policy, comprises 1) adequate maintenance and strengthening of high priority roads, including bridges, and winter maintenance, with adequate budgets; 2) review and adjustment of road user charge levels and distribution between different user groups to balance costs and revenues; 3) further action on the road axle-load policy; and 4) establishment of a leasing policy to enhance and speed up privatization of local contractors. The second component calls for: 1) further restructuring, privatization, and development of the road contracting industry, focusing on improving managerial, financial and technical capacity, and in establishing professional associations to enhance their competitiveness; 2) improving the coordination, collaboration, and operation of government agencies on the ongoing road safety program; and 3) assisting the vehicle inspection center. The third component, infrastructure, consists of: 1) rebuilding, upgrading, realigning, and resurfacing priority road sections and their crossings through cities; 2) rebuilding and upgrading 2 bridges, and building 3 new major bridges; 3) constructing 12 bypasses around congested cities; 4) emergency reconstruction of flood-damaged high priority infrastructure; 5) acquiring road maintenance and road safety equipment, vehicles, and materials; and 6) technical assistance and training for the ongoing road safety program in management, planning, pavement and maintenance systems, environmental protection, modern design and construction techniques, and privatization of local consultants and contractors.