Tirana Municipal Transport Project

complete

The proposed project will finance a comprehensive road transport rehabilitation project in Tirana, which is divided in two phases. Phase I envisages the rehabilitation and up-grading of a section of Tirana Ring Road, one of Tirana’s main connection arteries. The section is 3.34-km long which will be re-habilitated and widened. Phase II aims at the rehabilitation and development of other priority components of Tirana’s municipal roads. The project will significantly improve the traffic flow and release the congestion on one of the main streets in the City. The project will focus on assisting the City of Tirana in two aspects through Technical Assistance during implementation: (i) Creditworthiness Enhancement Programme (CEP) aimed at helping the City in monitoring and controlling the City’s fiscal revenues and expenditures; plan the City’s capital expenditures and organise the City’s Treasury Department; and to improve anti-corruption controls and establish an on-going monitoring regime that encourages fair competition and transparency in the provision of municipal services. (ii) Evaluating the role of the Municipal Transport Department and the City Transport Company focusing on re-organising the City’s Transport Department and Transport Company with the objective to develop urban transport plans improving public transport and traffic management and parking in the City. The City of Tirana is the capital and largest city in Albania. The City is headed by the Mayor and the City Council. The City is responsible for providing, organising and financing urban transport infrastructure in the City. Loan of EUR 8 million. EUR 8 million. The project has been screened B/1. The widening, realignment and the reconstruction of the road, will not require any land acquisition and the complete length of the project the alignment will remain within the existing right-of-way. Environmental and social due diligence, including a visit by the Bank’s Environmental Specialist, confirmed, that whilst there are a number of social issues associated with the project, particularly in relation to the demolition of some 146 structures, all of these issues have been addressed in the EIA and the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) developed in 2004 as a result of the World Bank appraisal and in accordance with World Bank standards. The road alignment has been revised to avoid the demolition of any residential buildings and other structures have been largely avoided by an appropriate revised final design of the road. The new project is constructed within the existing alignment and will affect only commercial structures (kiosks and concrete buildings) which have been erected illegally without any permits. Nevertheless, in all cases, and in accordance with the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP), all structures have been relocated on either the same lot or nearby in order to minimizing the social disruption. A considerable number of old trees which are currently along side the pavement will have to be removed. However, new green vegetated areas with grass and decorative trees will be provided. This will involve the planting of 4000 m2 of new vegetation and 800 new trees along the sidewalks. An Environmental Management and Social Action Plan (ESAP) and a Monitoring Plan and Road Safety Plan have been developed as part of the environmental due diligence. In order to undertake adequate monitoring of the Middle Ring Road ESAP, the MoT has appointed a full time Environmental Officer who will be responsible for the Project Monitoring Unit. None.