During the project preparation stage, an efficient and reliable road network was identified as being of strategic importance for Bhutan. Many communities were isolated and dependent on animal transport due to lack of reliable roads and this inaccessibility had kept several farmers dependent on subsistence agriculture. The country’s trunk road had very limited coverage and it was unable to meet the growing demands of larger and heavier vehicles. In Bhutan, 20% of the national highways, 53% of the district roads, and 86% of the feeder roads were in poor condition and were difficult to use during extreme weather conditions. The Road Network Project was designed to address the need to improve accessibility of the targeted rural community to socioeconomic activities and meet the requirements of an expanding vehicle traffic.
This report validates the completion report’s assessment of the project. IED overall assessment: Less than successful.