Japan and ADB Upgrading Access Roads in Remote Areas of Mongolia's Western Region

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - Japan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) are upgrading access roads in Western Mongolia, giving greater access to international markets to isolated rural communities.

The Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction is providing a $2 million grant for the road project, and ADB will manage the funds. The project will also provide employment for local residents, who will be trained in road operation and maintenance.

“Increasing investment in road construction and rehabilitation to reduce Mongolia’s isolation from world markets and improve the accessibility of isolated communities within the country is a priority of the Government,” said Lakshman Athukorala, Senior Financial Analysis Specialist of ADB’s East Asia Department.

The project will improve 33.5 kilometers of rural access roads in 10 locations over a period of 42 months. Once the project is completed, travel time from rural centers to the main road will be cut by 35%, providing increased access to markets for remote communities.

Mongolia’s landlocked location between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Russian Federation and its remoteness from developed international and domestic markets are major constraints to economic development. The access roads connect local communities with a 748.4-kilometer road project being financed by ADB stretching from Yarant bordering PRC to Ulaanbaishint bordering the Russian Federation.

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