Updating road maintenance system
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing a US$177 million loan for upgrade of 2 major district roads and 11 state highways with combined length of 450-km in Maharashtra.
The project will convert roads to 2-lane standard across seven state districts and improve connectivity to national highways, interstate roads, seaports, airports, rail hubs, district headquarters, industrial areas, enterprise clusters and agricultural areas, said the Finance Ministry on 28 May 2020.
Kenichi Yokoyama, Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission, said the project will also strengthen road safety measures by developing a road safety audit framework that will protect vulnerable groups such as the elderly, women, and children, following the international best practice.
Giving more details, he said that another feature of the project is to update road maintenance system by encouraging 5-year performance-based maintenance obligations to contractors to sustain asset quality and service levels.
Yokoyama signed the loan with Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary (Fund Bank and ADB), Department of Economic Affairs.
After signing the loan agreement, Khare said that the project will improve connectivity between rural areas and urban centers in the state enabling rural communities to better access markets, employment opportunities and services.
Improved mobility will expand development and livelihood opportunities outside of the state’s major urban centers to second-tier cities and towns thus reducing income disparities, he elaborated.
The ADB supported project will also focus on training the Maharashtra Public Works Department project staff to build their capacity in climate change adaptation and disaster resilient features in road design, road maintenance planning and road safety.
ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region. fiinews.com
