Sustainable, Integrated and Safe Road Infrastructure Project

active

The Project would support: 1. Component 1: Improved Regional ConnectivitySubcomponent 1.1 Upgrade of Route 2b between Brod na Drini (Foca) and Hum (Scepan Polje). This subcomponent will improve the connectivity, safety and climate resilience of the road between Sarajevo and Podgorica through the upgrade of approximately 12.6 km between Brod na Drini (Foca) and Hum (Scepan Polje) on route 2b. The works will be tendered through a design and build approach, following the alignment recommended in the feasibility study for which detailed design was developed through EU IPA funds in 2017. The alignment follows the right bank of Drina River until the confluence of the rivers Tara and Piva, where the border crossing and major bridge is located. The project will finance all necessary small bridges, interchanges and works on local connecting roads, while the intercountry bridge will be financed by BiH. Given that this route is particularly susceptible to flash floods and landslides, with more than 150 potential landslide locations, special attention will be put into slope stabilization and drainage structures. The project will also finance consultancy services to update the design, conduct the road safety audits and ensure site supervision. Bidding documents for procurement of designs, works and supervision will include detailed description of climate vulnerability status of project location(s) and list requirements needed to address these vulnerabilities aiming at improved climate resilience of road infrastructure. Subcomponent 1.2 Investments in a program of rehabilitation of priority magistral roads. This sub-component will finance selected sections of the RS PC Roads program for the reconstruction, rehabilitation and maintenance of priority magistral roads while ensuring the highest level of resilience to the prevailing natural hazards and road safety standards. In total this sub-component will improve about 100 km of road and associated blackspot improvements and interventions to enhance climate resilience. The works will be undertaken along the existing alignment and will include resurfacing, partial pavement widening, traffic signalization improvements, road safety improvements, access roads and investments to enhance climate resilience including slope stabilization, drainage, rehabilitation of bridges and tunnels as well ancillary connections. The project will also finance necessary design works and site supervision. All designs will be subject to road safety audit. The investments will be prioritized on the basis of the PC RS Roads investment program and accompanying cost benefit analysis. Sub-component 1.3: Road safety improvements supported by SSTP grant finance. In Republika Srpska, the SSTP grant financing will support the following investments:• Small scale civil works and road safety equipment to improve road safety for 10 school zones along the high-risk main roads in RS.• Road safety improvements on a 18 km section of M16, which is part of the Comprehensive TEN-T Road Network. Interventions will also include a new pavement wearing layer to reduce slipping.2. Component 2: Enhanced Road Sector Management Subcomponent 2.1 Improved safety and resilience of the road network. This subcomponent will finance technical assistance, goods and services, training and operating costs for the following activities:• Implementing Road Safety Inspections (RSI) on the priority road network. Recommendations from the RSI will be included in a road safety action plan for the development of a program for blackspot improvement. • Undertaking a comprehensive analysis of the safety of children around schools and on their way to and from home. The results of the analysis will be used to develop and deliver targeted trainings and campaigns to teach children road safety. • Implementing a network vulnerability assessment on the main road network to screen for climate-induced hazard vulnerability. The findings will be used to develop an action plan to incrementally reduce network vulnerability to climate change. • Implementing a slope management system to monitor climate-induced slope instability. This activity will finance land slide monitoring equipment, warning and informative traffic signs and minor civil works and nature-based solutions to reduce network vulnerability to landslides.Subcomponent 2.2 Enhanced operational management and financial sustainability. The subcomponent will finance technical assistance, and procurement of goods and services to enhance the operational management of the roads sector in BiH. It will finance activities that support the institutionalization of modern road asset management systems that enhance operational and financial sustainability. The activities include:• Diagnostics and implementation of enhanced Road Asset Management Systems for RS PC Roads: The project will finance a diagnostic, and subsequent implementation, of mechanisms to better institutionalize the use of the existing RAMs for maintenance planning and investment prioritization. The focus will be on the preparation of investment and maintenance plans, and optimizing multiannual planning, while including information on network resilience and road safety in the system.• Implementation of enhanced Weight control systems. This activity will finance mobile weight control systems, maintenance of existing systems where required and technical assistance to improve the existing legislation around enforcement of weight limits. These activities will allow the RS to extend and improve their existing systems of weight control in the short term, and plan for bringing in legislation that allows for modern methods of weight control in the longer term. • Technical assistance to develop a strategy for debt restructuring to improve long term financial sustainability.Subcomponent 2.3 Project Management and Capacity building. This subcomponent will finance eligible expenses for project implementation support relevant training and knowledge exchange activities, external expert support to support project implementation, and operating costs like office equipment, travel, printing and translation costs. Component 3: Contingent Emergency Response. This component will support provision of immediate response to an Eligible Crisis or Emergency, as needed.