Page  1
PROJECT INFORMATION DOCUMENT (PID) 
APPRAISAL STAGE 
Report No.:  AB3908 
Project Name 
Hubei Yiba Highway Project 
Region 
EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC 
Sector 
Roads and highways (100%) 
Project ID 
P101258 
Borrower(s) 
MINISTRY OF FINANCE 
People's Republic of China, represented by Ministry of Finance 
San Li He, West District 
China 
100820 
Fax: +86-10-6855-1125 
Implementing Agency 
 
Hubei Provincial Communications Department 
World Bank Loan Project Office 
Hubei 
China 
Fax: +86-27-8346-0754 
Environment Category 
[X] A   [ ] B   [ ] C   [ ] FI   [ ] TBD (to be determined) 
Date PID Prepared 
July 31, 2008 
Date of Appraisal 
Authorization 
August 7, 2008 
Date of Board Approval 
December 18, 2008 
1.  Country and Sector Background 
 
The Government of China (GOC) is committed to developing an efficient multimodal transport 
system to enhance competitiveness and promote development. At the core of their highway 
investment program was the National Trunk Highway System (NTHS), a 44,000 km network 
comprised of twelve major corridors (five north-south and seven east-west), completed in 2005. 
The initial NTHS backbone made great progress toward providing the core network connectivity, 
and development is now shifting toward linking poorer western regions with eastern China, the 
engine of
 China’s economic growth. In 2004 the GOC approved the so-called ‘7918’ China 
National Expressway Network (NEN), comprised of 27 major expressway corridors (nine 
vertical and 18 horizontal).  The NEN is designed to reach more than one billion people in China 
by linking all provincial capitals and large urban centers of more than 500,000 inhabitants with 
cities of more than 200,000 inhabitants.  
Hubei, with a population of 60.2 million, is a land-locked province in central China and one of 
the key industrial and agricultural production bases in the country. Despite its strategic location, 
Hubei’s lack of transport accessibility, especially in the more landlocked mountainous areas in 
the west of the province, has hindered its social and economic development and prevented it 
from meeting its development potential. As a result, and in accordance with the State Council’s 
National Expressway Network Planning mandate approved in December 2004, the province is 
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significantly improving its highway network. By 2020 Hubei will have 12 major expressway 
corridors: six vertical, five horizontal, and one ring trunk road. This comprehensive 
transportation system will provide a main communication node for north
–south, east–west traffic 
and a gateway to the less-developed western provinces, thereby giving way to the full 
development of the area’s regional and economic potential. 
The province has a need for improved high grade access to key facilities.
 
The proposed Yichang-
Badong Expressway (YBE) runs along the northern bank of the Yangtze river from Yichang to 
Badong in western Hubei province. The YBE is the last section not yet open to traffic or under 
construction of the expressway linking Wuhan to Chengdu
1
.
Passing through Yiling District, 
Xingshan County, and Zigui County, the YBE will traverse mountainous terrain in an 
environmentally sensitive area. The YBE constitutes an important section of the Hurong 
(Shanghai-Chengdu) national trunk expressway, one of the 18 trunk expressways connecting 
China’s eastern and western regions. A major component of the Chinese ‘Western Development 
Strategy’, this expressway network will facilitate the growth of the non-coastal regional hubs by 
providing access from the developed eastern coastal area to the developing markets in central 
and western China such as Chengdu. Promoting linkages with the inland/western regions is part 
of the GOC’s efforts to reduce regional development gaps. 
 
2. Objectives 
 
The proposed Project Development Objective (PDO) is to improve passenger and freight flows 
in the Yichang-Badong corridor by investing in the construction of an expressway which 
demonstrates improved environmental management practices during construction. 
The objectives will be measured using the following outcome indicators: 
·
in the Yichang-Badong corridor: (i) decreased freight and passenger tariffs; (ii) decreased 
travel time from Yichang to Badong; and (iii) decreased accident rates in the corridor
2
;
·
pilot testing of: (i) elements of environmentally and socially responsible procurement; (ii) 
improved compliance with the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) through 
environmental compliance framework; (iii) guidelines for management of environmental 
impacts during construction; independent environmental supervision during construction; 
(iv) improved understanding of worker’s rights; and 
·
implementation of key policies and procedures from the institutional strengthening 
components with regard to environmental management and tunnel safety. 
1
The section immediately to the east of the YBE (the Hubei Jingyi Expressway) opened to traffic in December 
2007. To the west, the Wuxi 
–
Fengjie Expressway started construction in November 2005 and is expected to be 
open to traffic December 2009. 
2
Of the six areas of potential health risks in transport projects identified in the 2007 IEG evaluation entitled ‘The 
health benefits of transport projects: A review of the World Bank transport sector lending portfolio’, the project will 
address three: (i) traffic safety—by reducing the accident rate in the corridor through the provision of improved 
quality of transport infrastructure; (ii) disease transmission—through the execution of an HIV/AIDS awareness 
campaign; and (iii) water pollution—by reducing runoff from the expressway into the natural water systems. It is not 
possible to quantify the impact of the project reliably on air and noise pollution. While improved quality of travel 
and shorter travel distances will reduce emissions, this may be offset by increased speeds. The provision of noise 
barriers will reduce noise pollution, but it will likely be higher than before the YBE was constructed. 
Page  3
The project contributes to Pillar 2 of the 2006 Country Partnership 
Strategy (CPS) ‘Reducing 
Poverty, Inequality, Social Exclusion’. The enhanced highway sector management and lower 
transportation costs will expand the economic opportunities for the rural poor by providing 
greater access and supporting expansion of trade, as well as through opportunities created by the 
project itself
3
.
The Project Development Objective (PDO) is consistent with the Bank’s 
recommendations listed in the CPS for China, in particular its recommendations to: (i) reduce 
internal and external barriers to trade and investment; (ii) reduce poverty, inequality and social 
exclusion through expanding affordable access to basic social and infrastructure services; and 
(iii) manage resource scarcity and environmental challenges. 
 
3.  Rationale for Bank Involvement 
 
The east-west linkages of the NEN are critical for the development of China’s lagging regions. 
The YBE will be a key contributor to the development of the NEN and will stimulate trade-led 
growth in this part of China. It will further strengthen regional integration and the 
competitiveness of Hubei province as well as its neighboring land-locked provinces. Within 
Hubei itself, the YBE will expand communications to the region’s natural and cultural resources 
promoting tourism and supporting economic growth. The YBE will provide greater access to the 
‘Three Gorges National Geological Park’
4
and other area resources leading to growth in the 
tourism industry and increased utilization of the network.  
The GOC has requested the World Bank to support the YBE project. Under the current proposal, 
the Bank will provide US$150 m financing towards the project, the total cost of which is 
estimated at US$2,194 m. The Government of Hubei was particularly interested in the Bank’s 
support to help them properly manage the major challenges of this investment: (i) technical 
difficulties due the very mountainous terrain; and (ii) the need to take special care during 
planning and construction due to the environmental and ecological sensitivity of the project area. 
The Bank will be involved in all aspects of this project, offering technical assistance and support 
where needed, and supervising all components, even those not financed by the Bank. This will 
ensure that the project fully complies with the Bank’s safeguard policies.  
3
The technical note ‘Using Involuntary Resettlement on Highway Projects to Alleviate Poverty: A Case Study from 
the Hubei Shiman Highway Project in China’, available for download from 
www.worldbank.org/eaptransport
,
shows how, by focusing on sustainable land development, improving housing standards, better access, and centrally-
planned communities, an expressway project can lead to an improved quality of infrastructure and livelihoods for 
most affected residents. These activities will be enhanced on the YBE project, and in conjunction with the work 
opportunities created by the project, will lead to increased wellbeing for many of the local poor. HPCD’s previous 
experience in this work will support these efforts. 
4
As described at 
http://www.unesco.org/science/earth/geoparks.shtml
:
“A Geopark is an area with a geological 
heritage of significance, with a coherent and strong management structure and where a sustainable economic 
development strategy is in place. A Geopark creates enhanced employment opportunities for the people who live 
there bringing sustainable and real economic benefit, usually through the development of sustainable tourism. In the 
framework of a Geopark, geological heritage and geological knowledge is shared with the broad public and linked 
with broader aspects of the natural and cultural environment, which are often closely related or determined to 
geology and landscape.”  
 
Page  4
The Bank has been Hubei’s development partner for over ten years and has provided financing 
for one inland waterway and four expressway projects. The Bank has added value through 
supporting the design, preparation, implementation, operation, and management of Hubei’s 
infrastructure in an environmentally, socially and safety conscious manner. The Bank has 
supported the Hubei Provincial Communications Department (HPCD) through a range of 
institutional strengthening and policy activities, which have enhanced the HPCD’s abilities in 
areas of environmental management, traffic safety
5
,
road management and operations.  
The YBE traverses entirely through the Three Gorges National Geological Park and crosses the 
Shennongjia Scenic Area. Although previous experiences with Bank-financed highway projects 
have helped the HPCD to improve their operations in a number of key areas such as safety and 
road maintenance, environmental protection, still remains an issue. This project will see a 
number of innovative practices adopted; some based on the Bank’s experiences in other 
countries, others being introduced for the first time. These include:  
i. 
improved methods for environmental supervision;  
ii. 
improved linkages between the safeguards documents and the bid 
documents/contracts;  
iii. 
introduction of an environmental compliance framework for contractors;  
iv. 
pilot testing of ‘Environmentally and Socially Responsible Procurement’ 
(see PAD Annex 15); and  
v. 
pilot testing of a ‘Safeguards Compliance Monitoring System’ (SCMS) 
which is described in  PAD Annex 16.  
These innovations reflect Hubei’s request that the Bank support them in making the project as 
environmentally ‘benign’ as possible. This is called for because of the particularly sensitive 
environment in the project area. It is expected that these innovations will: (i) reduce the impact 
of the construction activities on the environment; (ii) improve compliance with the project’s 
environmental safeguards; (iii) improve employment and living conditions for workers; and (iv) 
provide a demand driven system for the rapid identification and resolution of safeguard 
grievances. These activities are a major advancement in the area of safeguards application and 
are potentially replicable on other transport projects in China and elsewhere. 
Building upon past experiences in Hubei and elsewhere, the Bank is technically and financially 
in good position to contribute to this challenging investment, especially to support Hubei with 
preparing and implementing the project in an environmentally benign manner. 
 
5
The previous four highway projects in Hubei all undertook specific institutional strengthening activities. This work 
led to the HPCD establishing the ‘Hubei Road Traffic Safety Training Centre’ in 2007, with Bank support and 
financing through the Global Road Safety Facility. These efforts have contributed in 2000 - 2007 to a 44% reduction 
in the number of fatalities due to accidents, during which the number of vehicles grew by 148%.  
Page  5
4. Description 
 
Component A: Yichang - Badong Expressway (YBE) 
–
US$2188.7
 M 
(US$149.7 
M
B
ANK 
F
INANCING
)
The construction of a 173.6 km expressway connecting Yichang City and Badong County at the 
border of Hubei and Chongqing Municipality including land acquisition and resettlement, the 
relevant electrical and mechanical (E&M) facilities, annex areas, toll plazas and buildings, seven 
interchanges, and some interconnecting roads to improve integration with the local road network. 
The expressway will be built with four lanes, 80 km/hour design speeds and 24m integral 
subgrade width. The expressway alignment was selected to minimize the negative environmental 
and social impacts of the project, while the interchanges were located based on the network 
needs and access requirements of local road users.  
The total cost of the expressway is estimated at US$2189 million, of which the Bank is financing 
US$149.7 million
—approximately 6.8%. The Bank’s financing will be focused on the first 48.5 
km of the project where the works are in particularly environmentally sensitive areas. The Bank 
will finance eight subgrade and civil works contracts and one paving contract in this area. It will 
also finance the tolling system and telecommunications equipment for the entire expressway. 
This component also includes the supervision of the construction activities. As described in 
Section III, the project will adopt an innovative approach towards supervision through the 
appointment of a separate environmental supervision consultant, in addition to the usual practice 
of having the environment supervised by the same consultant as the civil works. This 
environmental supervision consultant will monitor and audit compliance with the project’s EMP. 
Two domestic consulting teams will be procured to act as the ‘Engineer’ for the civil works on 
the project, and a third for the E&M works. This is the first time this FIDIC based approach is 
fully used in Hubei Province
6
.
A
foreign consulting firm shall provide supervision support to the 
project office. There will be eight consulting firms providing resident engineers. 
Component B: Institutional Strengthening - US$5.4
 M 
(US$0.3
 M 
B
ANK 
F
INANCING
)
There will be four institutional strengthening activities, as well as a training program and 
equipment. These activities, detailed in the following table, will support the sustainability of the 
project through improvements to environmental protection, environmental monitoring, and 
safety for tunnel construction. The equipment will be used to enhance road maintenance, while 
the overall capacity of the HPCD will be improved through training.  
·
Improved Environmental Supervision:
 During project preparation a ‘Strategic 
Environmental Assessment’ (SEA) of Hubei’s road transport sector was undertaken by 
international and domestic consultants with SIDA grant financing
7
.
Based on the 
recommended action plan from the SEA, it was agreed that priority would be given to 
improving the effectiveness of environmental supervision on the HPCD’s projects. This 
will be done through the preparation of two guides by the environmental supervision 
6
On previous projects, the role of the Engineer was performed by the client’s project office.  
7
The final report can be downloaded from www.worldbank.org/eaptransport. 
Page  6
consultant: (i) a guide for contractors clearly identifying their responsibilities and the 
HPCD’s requirements; and, (ii) a guide for environmental supervisors on how to 
undertake supervision, including monitoring of effectiveness. These guides will be 
supported by a training program. 
·
Tunnel Safety: 
The study, to be conducted prior to the beginning of the major tunnel 
construction period, will: (i) provide recommendations on different alternatives for the 
improvement of tunnel construction practices; and, (ii) identify methods for improved 
tunnel safety supervision intended to reduce potential dangers and accidents.  
·
Hubei Comprehensive Transport Centre Study:
 The GOC has recently released a 
document “Comments on Promoting Central area Grow-up.” With its geographically 
central position, and rapidly expanding expressway network, Hubei is seen as having 
opportunities to become a multi-modal centre for transport in China. This study will 
identify policies, infrastructure and institutional constraints which need to be addressed in 
order for Hubei to fill its role as the “Comprehensive Transport Complex”. For both 
freight and passenger transport, the study will consider road, rail, waterways and air 
transport. It will indentify possible solutions for infrastructure, institutional framework, 
and management practices, based on experiences from other countries, and respecting 
existing national appraisal requirements. 
·
Reducing Geological Landslide Disasters on Expressways in Mountainous Regions: 
The purpose of the study is to review design approaches to identify ways in which 
designs can be enhanced to reduce the risk of landslide and other geological disasters 
during construction and operations.  
·
Training: 
Domestic and foreign training activities will cover a range of topics including 
design, safety, maintenance, management, finance and the environment. 
·
Equipment: 
Equipment will be procured for expressway management and maintenance, 
and environmental monitoring. These will include weighing stations, quality control sets 
and road condition monitoring equipment. 
 
The institution will also be strengthened through an HIV/AIDS education program, which will be 
financed through the AusAID ‘Infrastructure for Growth’ trust fund. This will build upon the 
success of previous similar programs in the Bank financed Hubei Shiman Highway
8
and Inland 
Waterway V projects. The program will pilot test the new HIV/AIDS IEC Toolkit
9
‘The Road To 
Good Health’, developed by EAP specifically to educate construction workers, local residents, 
and commercial sex workers on HIV/AIDS risks and mitigation. At the same time, the  education 
program will also include information on worker’s rights under the new 2008 China labor law, 
part of the project’s ‘Environmentally and Socially Responsible Procurement Initiative’ (see 
PAD Annex 15). 
 
8
The Hubei Shiman project is recognized as an example of excellent practice. See “Combating HIV in the East Asia 
and Pacific Region Transport Sector: Success on the Road in China”. Report from the World Bank Global 
HIV/AIDS Program, November 2007. Available for download from www.worldbank.org/eaptransport. 
9
Available for download from www.theroadtogoodhealth.org.  
Page  7
5. Financing 
 
Source: 
($m.) 
Borrower 2,044.02
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development 
150.00
Total 2,194.02
6. Implementation 
 
A. Partnership arrangements 
 
None 
B.  Institutional and implementation arrangements 
 
The Borrower is the People’s Republic of China (PRC), which will onlend the loan proceeds 
through the Ministry of Finance (MOF) to Hubei Province on the same conditions as the Bank 
loan to PRC. The overall direction of the project at the central level will rest with the Ministry of 
Communications (MOC) located in Beijing.  
At the provincial level the project will be implemented by the HPCD, responsible for road 
management in Hubei province. The World Bank-Financed Project Office (WBFPO) in Hubei 
coordinated project preparation and will be responsible for the institutional strengthening and 
policy development components. It will also coordinate the implementation of activities and will 
remain the Bank’s main counterpart during implementation. The Hubei Provincial Yiba 
Expressway Construction Headquarter (HPYECH) established by the HPCD, will implement the 
YBE and manage construction works as the “Client”, with the assistance of the Hubei Provincial 
Yiba Expressway Company Ltd. (HPYEC) who will operate and manage the YBE after opening. 
The HPCD shall be responsible in the long-term for continued maintenance and sustainability of 
the expressway. Monitoring and evaluation activities shall be performed by the HPCD and the 
supervision entities (described below). Monitoring of institutional strengthening activities to 
ensure capacity building shall be performed by the relevant implementing unit (see Institutional 
Strengthening table under PAD Annex 4).  
There are several innovations on the project with regard to supervision. These are summarized 
briefly and the chain of reporting is illustrated in the diagram below. 
Page  8
·
The HPCD will assign three engineers in the sense of FIDIC: one for civil works of the 
section from Yichang to Xingshan, one for civil works of the section from Xingshan to 
Badong, one for E&M works. Each engineer will be a firm signing a contract with 
HPCD. 
·
Under the two engineers for civil works there will be eight resident engineering firms. 
Each resident engineer would be a domestic firm having a contract with HPCD, but 
acting under the engineers. 
·
The two engineers for civil works would be assisted by domestic experts in bridges and 
tunnels who would advise them. These experts would be provided by a firm having 
signed a contract with HPCD. 
·
The HPCD proposed a foreign team including a tunnel expert, a pavement expert, and a 
bridge expert, who would advise the client. 
·
Since the YBE is in an environmentally sensitive area, a separate environmental 
supervision consultant will monitor and audit the contractor’s compliance with the EMP. 
They will advise the supervision engineers and report to the client. 
·
During construction, the designers from the Hubei Provincial Highway Design Institute 
(HPHDI) and the Second National Survey and Design Institute from MOC (MOCN2) 
will update the designs to account for issues encountered in the field.  
 
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Supervision 
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Resident 
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RE
 = Resident Engineer; 
E&M
 = Electrical and Mechanical Contractor; 
 
Direction of Reporting;   General Reporting (not yet distributed) 
Page  9
The Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) for the project was prepared by the dedicated Hubei 
Expressway Resettlement Office (HERO), who will lead resettlement operations. The 
resettlement under the project will be implemented by a three-level coordination organizational 
structure: 
i.e.
.
city, county (district), and town. To facilitate the implementation of the land 
acquisition and resettlement under the project, Yichang and Enshi will establish local 
coordination headquarters and undertake the implementation of land acquisition and the RAP 
under the lead of provincial government sector. 
 
C.  Monitoring and evaluation of outcomes/results 
 
PAD Annex 3 contains the performance indicators adopted for the project. The baseline data and 
target values were agreed and will be included as part of the
 project’s monitoring reports. The 
WBFPO will assemble the necessary data and submit to the Bank semi-annual progress reports 
using guidelines and standards agreed to with the Bank. These reports will include physical 
progress, as well as information on compliance with safeguards and institutional strengthening. 
Annual independent audits of the special accounts will be carried out, and an implementation 
completion report (ICR) will be prepared within six months of the closing date of the Bank loan.  
 
7. Sustainability 
 
The sustainability of the project is ensured by: (i) the GOC’s policy to improve accessibility to 
the western and central provinces; (ii) the Hubei provincial government’s commitment to 
establish a transport corridor with access to an international seaport; and (iii) the constantly 
growing traffic in the corridor, sustained economic growth of the province and rapid 
development of the cities of Yichang and Badong. All of the above are enhanced by the matured 
and well-established relationship between the Bank and Hubei province through the previous 
successful lending operations. 
 
Road maintenance is crucial to ensuring the sustainability of the Yiba Expressway. The HPCD 
has a proven history of success in road maintenance. For example the Bank financed NH3 
(opened 2001), NH4 (opened 2002), and Xiaoxiang (opened 2005) expressways have been 
properly maintained since opening. While maintenance funding for much of the road network is 
low, this is not the case for expressways where maintenance activities are financed through tolls. 
Because of the difficult terrain that YBE passes through, the HPCD plan to devote a greater 
percentage of the toll revenue to support its maintenance than on other expressways. 
 
8.  Lessons Learned from Past Operations in the Country/Sector 
 
The YBE will be the fifth Bank-financed highway project in Hubei, so the client has developed 
good experience and knowledge of the various stages of preparation and implementation of 
highways. The extensive experience that the Bank has developed based on the numerous 
highway projects in China and the corresponding lessons learned were incorporated in the 
project design. Among them are:  
·
Importance of the Alignment Selection Process: 
There is a tendency of domestic 
design institutes to select their alignments based only on engineering considerations. 
However, to truly optimize the alignment, it is necessary to also take into account the 
Page  10
social and environmental impacts
—especially when the project is in an environmentally 
sensitive area such as the YBE traverses. During project preparation the task team 
worked closely the client, design institute, resettlement team, and the environmental 
consultant to minimize the overall impact of the project. The final project alignment 
considerably reduces the impacts of the project on the sensitive environment from the 
preliminary alignment. 
·
Insufficient Information Leads to Cost Overruns: 
Major cost variations have arisen, 
and in some instances projects been halted to allow redesigns, due to the contractors 
experiencing quite different geological conditions than were reflected in the designs. 
With some 75% of the project comprised of roads and bridges, the risk is exceptionally 
high in the YBE. To address this risk, more detailed than usual geological investigations 
were undertaken during the design stages. Special attention was paid at locations of 
tunnels. 
·
Impact of Access Roads: 
Access roads are often an afterthought, with contractors 
allowed to decide upon their location and designs. On some projects this has led to many 
negative environmental issues. Because of the remoteness of the area traversed by the 
YBE, there is a need for more numerous, and longer, access roads to construction sites 
than in previous Bank financed projects. To minimize the potential environmental 
impacts, particular attention was taken during preparation to reduce the number and 
impacts of access roads. The location of roads are to be specified in the bidding 
documents along with their general design requirements. 
·
Waste Deposit Sites: 
On many projects waste deposit sites have also been an 
afterthought. The contractors often locate them in the most convenient places, 
irrespective of environmental impact, and they are not properly engineered. For the YBE 
the location of all waste deposit sites are identified in the designs, and they have been 
carefully designed in order to reduce their environmental impacts. Where possible, they 
have been located in order to provide suitable land for agriculture and resettlement upon 
completion of the project. The local appropriate authorities agreed in writing to the 
preliminary designs of all waste deposit sites during project preparation. 
·
Contractors Not Complying With the Environmental Management Plan: 
On many 
previous projects, the work had a negative impact on the environment during construction 
and, upon completion of works, the contractors tried to restore as best as possible the 
damage inflicted
10
.
To address this issue, two innovations were adopted for the YBE 
project: 
 
i.  The contract packaging and bidding documents, including technical specifications, 
were designed in order to clearly show contractors their responsibilities for preserving 
the environment and minimizing the environmental impact of their activities during 
construction. Key clauses from the EMP were ‘translated’ into technical 
specifications in a manner understandable by contractors, and included in the bidding 
documents and contract
11
.
10
 For an example, on the Second Jiangxi Highway Project over US$ 3 million was spent to correct environmental 
damages caused by construction and poorly implemented greening works. 
11
 The Ministry of Transport publishes standard specifications which are typically used with little, if any, 
customization to reflect the project specific requirements of EMP. 
Page  11
ii. 
An EMP compliance framework was adopted which clearly identifies the contractor’s 
obligations when non-compliance with the EMP is identified, and how compliance 
will be enforced. 
·
Poor Supervision of the EMP: 
The standard practice on Bank financed projects in 
China is to have the same supervision consultants responsible for supervising both civil 
works and the environment. When trade-offs had to be made, they were usually at the 
expense of the environment. It was difficult to hold consultants accountable for their poor 
environmental supervision performance. For the YBE a separate environmental 
supervision consultant, reporting directly to the borrower, will monitor and audit 
compliance with the project’s environmental standards.  
·
Impact on Karst Cave Biodiversity:
 Since karst caves can have unique biodiversity 
which can be irreparably damaged through projects in the vicinity, the project undertook 
biodiversity surveys for all caves within 500 m of the alignment, collecting samples of 
different plants, mammals and invertebrates for species identification. The EMP includes 
specific mitigation measures for caves, as well as a chance find procedure should 
additional caves be encountered.  
·
Risk of HIV/AIDS: 
In parts of China, some two-thirds of new HIV/AIDS infections 
have been amongst migrant workers. Because of the large number of migrant workers on 
the project, there is a risk of transmission of HIV/AIDS. The HIV/AIDS information and 
education campaign conducted on the Hubei Shiman Highway Project is recognized as 
extremely effective. A similar campaign will be undertaken on the YBE project using a 
new standard education course, financed through the AusAID Infrastructure for Growth 
Trust Fund. 
·
Importance of Road Safety: 
On previous projects problems were encountered with 
unsafe designs of interconnecting roads and junctions. A safety audit was done of the 
entire alignment during preparation, including interconnecting roads and junctions, to 
ensure that the safety was properly considered.  
·
Environmentally and Socially Responsible Procurement: 
A
common problem in 
China is that workers are not paid promptly or are underpaid
12
.
In 2008, the GOC 
introduced a new labor law which clearly identifies the rights of workers and grievance 
procedures. The project will support adherence to this new law through worker training 
and the availability of a grievance redress mechanism. Other ESRP issues, such as 
responsible procurement and disposal of materials, shall be addressed through piloting 
‘Environmentally and Socially Responsible Procurement’ on the project (see PAD Annex 
15). 
·
Affected Persons Not Receiving Compensation Payments: 
Although it has not been a 
problem with Hubei Province’s previous projects, the failure of project affected persons 
to receive their appropriate compensation payments is a risk on all World Bank financed 
projects in China and elsewhere. To facilitate the ability for persons affected by the 
project to lodge complaints the project will pilot an innovative ‘Safeguards Compliance 
Monitoring System’ (see PAD Annex 16). 
 
12
 See “China’s Modernizing Labor Market: Trends and Emerging Challenges”. Synthesis Report for the ESW 
Component of the China Labor Market AAA Program. EAP Human Development Unit, June 2007. 
Page  12
Ownership of Institutional Strengthening Program: 
A
common complaint of the HPCD on 
previous Bank financed projects in Hubei was that the number of institutional strengthening 
activities were too many and that they were supply as opposed to demand driven
13
.
The three 
topic areas were proposed by the HPCD to the Bank since they address current issues in Hubei 
province. The program should therefore have the full support of the HPCD and therefore a higher 
likelihood of success than on previous Bank financed projects. 
 
9.  Safeguard Policies (including public consultation) 
 
Safeguard Policies Triggered by the Project
 
Yes
 
No
 
Environmental Assessment (OP/BP 4.01) 
[X] 
[ ] 
Natural Habitats (OP/BP 4.04) 
[X] 
[ ] 
Pest Management (OP 4.09) 
[ ] 
[X] 
Physical Cultural Resources (OP/BP 4.11) 
[X] 
[ ] 
Involuntary Resettlement (OP/BP 4.12) 
[X] 
[ ] 
Indigenous Peoples (OP/BP 4.10) 
[ ] 
[X] 
Forests (OP/BP 4.36)
\0d
[
]
[X] 
Safety of Dams (OP/BP 4.37) 
[ ] 
[X] 
Projects in Disputed Areas (OP/BP 7.60)* 
[ ] 
[X] 
Projects on International Waterways (OP/BP 7.50) 
[ ] 
[X] 
10. List of Factual Technical Documents 
 
·
Typsa Tunnel Design Review Report 
·
Three Gorges National Geological Park Master Plan  
·
Feasibility Study for Impact of Project on Three Gorges National Geological Park 
·
Environmental Assessment Executive Summary, July 2008 
·
Environmental Impact Assessment (For Appraisal), July 2008 
·
Cave Biodiversity Study, June 2008, Draft Report V1.0 
·
Cultural Relics Report of YB Expressway 
·
Environment Management Plan (For Appraisal), July 2008 
·
Terms of Reference, Client’s Environmental Supervision Consultant, July 14, 2008, 
Version No. 03 
·
Resettlement Action Plan (For Appraisal), July 2008 
·
Policy Framework for Resettlement and Land Acquisition of Xinshan Connection under 
Hubei Yiba Expressway Project 
·
The Social Assessment Report on Hubei Stretch from Yichang to Badong of Highway 
from Shanghai to Chengdu (Revised), July 2008 
 
11. Contact point 
Contact: Christopher R. Bennett 
Title:  Sr. Transport Specialist 
Tel:  (202) 473-30057 
13
 For example, see borrower comments in the Implementation Completion Reports for the NH4 and Xiaoxiang 
Highway Projects.  
Page  13
Fax:  (202) 522-3573 
Email: cbennett2@worldbank.org 
 
12. For more information contact: 
The InfoShop 
The World Bank 
1818 H Street, NW 
Washington, D.C. 20433 
Telephone:  (202) 458-4500 
Fax:  (202) 522-1500 
Email: pic@worldbank.org 
Web: http://www.worldbank.org/infoshop