Page 1 1 / 4 PROJECT INFORMATION DOCUMENT (PID) Report No.: AB1340 Project Name IQ-EMERGENCY ROAD REHABILITATION PROJECT Region MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Sector Roads and highways (97%); Central government administration (3%) Project ID P087735 Borrower(s) Government of Iraq Implementing Agency Ministry of Housing and Construction Environment Category [X] A [ ] B [] C [ ] FI [ ] TBD (to be determined) Safeguard Classification [ ] S 1 [ ] S 2 [ ] S 3 [X] S F [ ] TBD (to be determined) Date PID Prepared November 17, 2005 Estimated Date of Appraisal Authorization February 6, 2006 Estimated Date of Board Approval March 30, 2006 1. Key development issues and rationale for Bank involvement Once regarded as having one of the Middle East’s most comprehensive transportation systems, Iraq’s transport infrastructure has suffered from more than two decades of neglect and underinvestment. Between 1980 and 2003, regional conflicts, the utilization of public resources to support military initiatives, an extended period of economic sanctions, and deferred maintenance contributed to a pernicious and general decline in the quality of transport facilities and services, and to huge losses in rolling stock. With the onset of the 2003 military intervention, many assets were damaged due to the heavy bombing that occurred, and the looting that followed stripped ministries and transport facilities of equipment, machinery, furniture and supplies. In addition to these challenges, Iraq must transition from a centrally-planned, command economy to one that is market based. As a result, the country faces enormous challenges in reconstructing its transportation networks and facilities, as well as re-establishing key transport services. Loss of Key Road Assets . In a large country such as Iraq, with a total land area of about 432,000 square km, and around 27 million inhabitants, roads play a central role in the movement of people and goods. Estimates indicate that roads accommodate 70 percent of all land transport in Iraq. Most of the country’s nearly 42,000 km 1 road network was developed in the 1970s and 1980s, and little, if any, new construction has taken place since. Although some 85 percent of the network is paved, maintenance has routinely been deferred. As a result, large backlogs of maintenance have accumulated over the years, pavements have failed in many areas, and a significant portion of the network is in need of rehabilitation. Deterioration of Village Access Roads. Inadequate repairs and maintenance have also contributed to a pronounced deterioration in village roads, which have been neglected to the extent that reconstruction, rather then rehabilitation, is needed along much of the rural road network. This has diminished access to markets and social services in many rural areas, and contributes to isolation. Bridges Critical to Iraq’s Road Network . The topography of Iraq, with two major river systems along which most cities are located, make bridges a vital part of the road network, which 1 There are approximately 1,084 km of national highways, 11,000 km of primary roads, 15,200 km of secondary roads, 3,704 km of village access roads, and 11,000 km of army roads along Iraq’s borders (which account for more than 25 percent of the total network). Page 2 2 / 4 includes more than 1,0 00 bridges. As a result of the first Gulf War, many of the country’s bridges 2 were damaged, and several key connections were never replaced. Instead, temporary structures (floating bridges) 3 were put in place. Because of the sanctions, most rehabilitative works were stopped and only limited maintenance activities undertaken. Absence of Quality Control Measures . Another key loss was the Government road laboratories, which were decimated by looting. Not only were equipment and supplies stolen, but most of the institutional capacity at the country’s central and regional facilities was also negatively impacted. These laboratories played an important role in controlling the quality of road construction, and need to be reconstituted on an urgent basis. Weakened Capacity to Manage Road Network . Historically, capacity to manage the country’s network of roads has been strong and adequate. However, reliance on outdated procedures and equipment has eroded skills and abilities, which are in need of updating and strengthening. The process of managing roads would also benefit from re-engineering, including adopting modern techniques and delegating appropriate levels of administrative and managerial autonomy to the provincial offices. Rapidly Expanding Vehicle Fleet . In 1970, there were just 122,200 vehicles registered in Iraq. By 1980, the number had grown to 463,000, and reached one million in 1989. Under the economic sanctions of the 1990s, growth slowed sharply, however, various sources indicate that more than 500,000 4 used-vehicles were imported into Iraq between mid-2003 and early 2004. This represents an increase in excess of 40 percent in Iraq’s vehicle fleet in less than a year. Due to extensive reliance on land transport and demand that has been suppressed for more than a decade, the size of Iraq’s vehicle fleet is expected to continue increasing rapidly, which will cause traffic to grow significantly. Already, several key arteries linking major urban centers are experiencing high traffic volumes, 5 and capacities along these routes are rapidly nearing capacity. Rationale for Bank Involvement . The rationale for significant IDA involvement at this stage in rehabilitating Iraq’s highway and rural road infrastructure has to do with the huge financing gap in the sector in the short- to medium-term (US$2.25 billion for the transport sector, of which US$0.575 billion is earmarked for roads and bridges), 6 and the limited interest demonstrated by the donor community in supporting the transport sector financially and through policy advice and institutional strengthening. Large donors, such as the United States and Japan, are channeling most of their support to other infrastructure sectors, with little or no funding for the road sector. As a result, there is need for substantial additional financing to address road transport bottlenecks and other inefficiencies in the sector. The Bank has the resources and experience to support new road sector operations, and to complement ongoing investments through the regular Iraqi budget. The Bank is in a position to share international experience and best practices based on its considerable work with transport infrastructure projects and institution building in conflict- affected areas. The Bank’s reconstruction efforts put a premium on early, but selective engagement, flexibility in design and implementation, capacity restoration, coordination with donors and other partners, and close monitoring and evaluation. 2 There are about 1,156 bridges throughout Iraq, 148 main and 1,008 secondary bridges. 3 There are 69 pontoon bridges located throughout the central and southern parts of Iraq. 4 Several sources indicate that the figure is closer to 800,000 used-vehicles. 5 Recent traffic counts are not available. 6 Ref.: IRAQ – United Nations/World Bank Joint Needs Assessment for the first four years (October 2003). Page 3 3 / 4 2. Proposed objective(s) The Development Objective of the proposed Eme rgency Road Rehabilitation Project’s (ERRP) is to improve the condition of road assets by rehabilitating highly damaged segments of the country’s highway and rural road network, re-establishing critical river crossings, and restoring the capacity to manage and maintain road assets. This would contribute to the country’s economic and social recovery. 3. Preliminary description 1. The ERRP consists of two parts: (a) Part A, which covers the 15 central and southern Governorates; and (b) Part B, which focuses on sub-projects in the three governorates of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Parts A and B will be implemented independently by the State Commission for Roads and Bridges (SCRB) and the KRG General Directorate for Roads and Bridges (KRG- GDRB) respectively. It is expected that there will be only one Credit Agreement between the Bank and the Government of Iraq. P ART A - P ROJECT C OMPONENTS FOR THE 15 C ENTRAL AND S OUTHERN G OVERNORATES 2. Part A of the proposed ERRP, which covers the 15 central and southern Governorates, would have five components: ‰ Component A.1: Highway Pilot Rehabilitation Program . This sub-component consists of rehabilitating priority sections of the highway network (about 500 km) through a pilot program. The identified road sections, which are on highways connecting main cities, are in very bad condition and cause major travel delays. The works consist mainly of pavement repairs and strengthening, but also shoulder stabilization, road furnishings, including lane marking and traffic signs, new guardrails, and drainage repairs. ‰ Component A.2: Village Access Roads Pilot Program . This sub-component would upgrade about 200 km of village access roads in several locations. The reconstruction and rehabilitation of numerous access roads between isolated villages in various Governorates would be undertaken on a pilot basis. Improvements to these rural access roads will facilitate travel and commerce by reducing travel time and costs. ‰ Component A.3: Bridge Replacements Pilot Program . This Program would provide a limited number of critical river crossings with safer structures by replacing their old decaying floating bridges with permanent concrete bridges. The amount available under this sub-component may limit the number of bridges that can be constructed, but this will depend on span lengths and construction costs. ‰ Component A.4: Road Asset Management and Road Rehabilitation Programming . This initiative would develop road maintenance and management strategies and establish a road asset management system. It would include support for preparing a multi-year national road rehabilitation program and a village access program, along with their associated financing plans, as well as capacity building measures. ‰ Component A.5: Project Management . Financial support would be provided to manage project activities and provide on the job training in project management. The Credit would finance the costs of setting up a Project Management Team (PMT) under the Ministry of Housing and Construction in Baghdad, including necessary office equipment, materials, technical assistance, training, and other related costs. Page 4 4 / 4 P ART B - P ROJECT C OMPONENTS FOR THE T HREE N ORTHERN G OVERNORATES 3. Part B of the ERRP would be implemented in the three northern Governorates and have four components: ‰ Component B.1: Rehabilitation and Upgrading of the 43 km long Erbil – Altun Kopri Road . The ERRP would widen and rehabilitate 43 km (about half) of the main Erbil to Kirkuk road in the Kurdistan Region, which is a priority for the Regional Government. The section from Erbil to Altun Kopri (Perdi) (43 km) is part of the Erbil to Baghdad highway that serves as a critical trade corridor for the regional economy. Due to severe deterioration of the pavement and frequent overtaking, there are about twelve serious road crashes daily, resulting in numerous injuries and fatalities every year. ‰ Component B.2: Village Access Roads Pilot Program . The Project would rehabilitate up to 100 km of rural roads connecting remote villages in the Kurdistan Region. Around 30 km to 35 km of roads in each of the three northern Governorates would be upgraded. ‰ Component B.3: Road Asset Management and Road Rehabilitation Programming . This initiative would develop road rehabilitation and maintenance management strategies and establish a fully functioning road asset management system for the northern Governorates. This would entail preparing a highway rehabilitation and maintenance program, as well as a village access road program. ‰ Component B.4: Project Management . Financial support would be provided to manage project activities and provide on the job training in project management. The Credit would finance the costs of setting up a Project Management Team (PMT) under the Ministry of Housing and Construction in the KRG, including necessary office equipment, materials, technical assistance, training, and other related costs. 4. Safeguard policies that might apply OP/BP 4.01 on environmental assessment and OP/BP 4.12 pertaining to involuntary resettlement, are likely to apply to the ERRP. 5. Tentative financing Source (US$ mil.) BORROWER/RECIPIENT 0.0 INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION 135.0 Total: 135.0 6. Contact point Contact: Mr. Mohammed D. E. Feghoul Title: Lead Municipal Engineer Tel: (202) 473-2313 Fax: (202) 477-1993 Email: Mfeghoul@worldbank.org