Tunisia - The Road Project V

The Road Project V is consistent with the pursuance of the strategy to upgrade the Transport Sector, formulated by the Government since the previous five-year Development Plans aimed at promoting an efficient high quality transport system. The project is part of the investments planned for road infrastructure under the 11th Plan (2007-2011) and its implementation is in line with the Bank's intervention strategy in Tunisia for the period concerned. It was designed to address the capacity constraints (width of carriageways and their structural condition) of the classified road network which does not at present provide an acceptable level of service in respect of traffic volumes and the rapid growth of heavy traffic, which is responsible for the deterioration of the carriageway structures and a heightened risk of accidents. The project involves carrying out work with the following components: (i) structural road works (diversion of the cities of Beja, Jendouba, Sidi Bouzid, M'Saken-Est in Sousse and El Hamma in Gabès and modernisation by upgrading the GP6D sections in Beja, the GP2 between Enfida and Kairouan and GP3 -Fahs in Zaghouan); (ii) rehabilitation of a total of 374.1 km of paved roads; (iii) reinforcement of a total of 640.4 km of paved roads; (iv) construction of 14 engineering structures distributed over the classified road network. The implementation of the project will contribute to safeguarding the existing road network, while improving the state of the infrastructure, thereby fostering intra- and inter-regional trade and reducing regional disparities. This will result in greater complementarity of road transport with the other modes of transport, and contribute to enhancing the competitiveness of the country by lowering transport costs. The estimated cost of the project is UA 264.15 million, equivalent to US$ 399 million (Tunisian dinars 474.82 million).