Despite considerable investments in the road sector, the country’s road network did not provide efficient transport to large parts of the country—particularly to poorer inland regions such as Sichuan. Better transport links were needed to improve economic efficiency, foster national and international trade, facilitate interregional integration, and reduce poverty. To enhance economic development and reduce poverty, the government implemented the Western Region Development Strategy, which aimed at reducing development disparities between the western and coastal regions. In Sichuan, the province planned to build 30,000 kilometers (km) of township roads and 20,000 km of village roads during 2006–2010 to ensure that 80% of the province’s townships were connected by paved roads.
The operational strategy of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the road sector supported the (i) construction of roads that connect major growth centers and link the hinterland economies; (ii) integration of the network so that the national trunk highway system is supported by a system of local roads; (iii) promotion of road safety and reduction of vehicle emissions; (iv) institutional strengthening to increase the commercial orientation and efficiency of expressway organizations; (v) improvement of highway planning and evaluation techniques; (vi) adoption of pricing policies to ensure optimum use of road transport capacity; and (vii) use of alternative methods of investment financing, including private sector participation. ADB road sector assistance targeted the less developed central and western provinces, where most of the poor live.
This report validates the completion report’s assessment of the project. IED overall assessment: Successful.