Sri Lanka: Northern Road Connectivity Project

Transport - Road transport (non-urban) - Transport policies and institutional development

For the road sector in Sri Lanka, the end of nearly three decades of civil war in the country's northern and eastern provinces presents special challenges as well as opportunities. The prolonged neglect and underinvestment in the conflict affected region has caused the roads to lie in a state of total disrepair which require immediate and sustained investment. Particularly in the Northern Province (NP), the damage to physical infrastructure was severe and extensive due to the intensity of conflict toward war's end. As the Government is carrying out the resettlement of the displaced population in the region, reestablishment of linkages to social services and markets through robust road network is essential for normal socio-economic activities and civil life to return.

NP's population is about 1.2 million as the 3rd populous province in the country. The poverty level is well below the national average with recorded per capita annual income of 89,907 Sri Lankan Rupees (approximately $810), compared with the national average of 178,783 Sri Lankan Rupees (approximately $1,610).

NP covers an area of 8,844 square meters and its road network includes 1,259 km of national highways, 1,960 km of provincial roads, and approximately 5,400 km of rural roads. The road density is about 1.0 km per square meter, which is among the lowest in the country. Due to neglect and damages sustained during the period of conflict, almost all roads are termed to be in very poor condition.

The mobility between the north and the south is being restored and the Government has started introducing transport services, including the scheduled bus service between Colombo, the country's capital, and Jaffna, the northern provincial capital. However, the condition of national highways, the backbones arterial roads connecting the north and the south, is inadequate, varying from poor to very poor surface conditions. Insufficient investment in rehabilitation and improvement has resulted in low travel speed and poor service. This has discouraged long distance travel to the north and, ultimately, hindered the spread of economic activities and development. Enhancing road connectivity between the north and the south is vital in restoring mobility of people and goods, and will play an important role in integrating the country.

The Project is proposed to rehabilitate about 141 km of provincial roads and 58 km of national highways within NP and improve about 62 km of link national highways in the North Central Province (NCP) including a section of A009 which serves as the backbone arterial highway connecting to south. The Project is timely and targeted - to help restore accessibility to essential social services for rural people in NP and to improve its nation wide connectivity. It will facilitate economic growth and contribute to reducing disparities in Sri Lanka, consistent with the key goals of the Government?s 10-Year Development Framework (10YDF, 2007-2016), which emphasizes equitable growth.

The Project supports the strategic objective established in ADB's Country Strategy and Program (2009-2011): To improve transport system in Sri Lanka, promoting regionally balanced and socially inclusive economic growth. The Project is included in the Country Operations Business Plan, Sri Lanka (2010-2012).

1. National highways are rehabilitated.

2. Provincial roads are rehabilitated and selected bridge links are rehabilitated and replaced.

3. NPRDD's offices are rehabilitated.

Northern Road Connectivity Project (NRCP)

National Road Component (L2639): All original 10 civil works contracts have been completed and three year performance based maintenance works are ongoing. Additional 3 contract packages were awarded by utilizing loan savings and all works have been completed. As of 8 September 2016, the cumulative contract award was $126.22 million, while disbursement was $126.18 million.

Provincial Road Component (L2640): As per the original loan scope, there were 6 road contracts packages and one building contract package. Five road contract packages have been completed. One road contract package (NP02) was mutually terminated and balance work has been awarded under new contract package (NP02R). The building contract package has also been completed. An additional contract package NP09 has been award by utilizing the loan saving.

L2890/2891 Additional Finance for NRCP

National Road Component: There are nine contract packages under the national road component. During the project implementation, RDA has procured an additional contract package to rehabilitate 11 km road length of A029: Vavunia _ Horowupathana road (from 5+000km to 16+000km) and 3 km road length of B060: Bogahawewa _ Pulmudai road (from 0+000km to 3+000km), with the ADB approval. ADB approval was given on 7 November 2014. All contracts are now in the performance based road maintenance (PBRM) phase.

Provincial Road Component: There are four civil works contracts under NPRDD, rehabilitation works in two contracts have been completed and are now in PBRM phase. The balance two provincial roads contract packages in the Northern Province are still in the road rehabilitation phase. Under NCPRDA, there are five civil works contracts and all contracts are now in PMRM phase.

The project is classified as category B. None of the project roads are located inside protected areas or environmentally sensitive areas. Three consolidated Initial Environmental Examination reports together with Environmental Monitoring Plans (EMPs) have been prepared for the national roads, northern provincial roads and north central provincial roads respectively as per ADB's Safeguard Policy Statement (2009). Contract package specific EMPs have also been prepared as part of the detailed design. The requirements of the EMPs and of the conditional clearance provided by the Central Environmental Authority have been incorporated in the bidding documents and included as part of the contracts. Anticipated environmental impacts include minimal removal of trees, occupational health and safety issues, generation of dust, and noise and drainage problems. These are mainly confined to the construction stage and can be addressed through implementation of mitigation measures recommended in the EMP. Initial environmental examinations (IEE) have been carried out, including consultations with communities in the project areas. Details of consultations, feedback received, requirements for further consultation and grievance redress mechanism (GRM) have been included in the IEE report. As required by ADB's Safeguard Policy Statement (2009), the IEE report has been disclosed.

The Environmental and Social Division (ESD) under RDA will coordinate and monitor implementation of the EMP for the national roads. ESD will be supported by an environmental specialist of the Project Implementation Consultant team for onsite monitoring during construction. The PIUs of the NPRDD and NCPRDA respectively will assign one of their staff as the safeguards focal person to coordinate and monitor the implementation of the social and environment safeguards for provincial roads. This focal person will be supported by an environmental specialist of the Project Implementation Consultant team for onsite monitoring and reporting. Training and coordination workshops on environment safeguards and EMP implementation will be conducted for RDA, NPRDD, NCPRDA, and contractors as necessary. Environmental monitoring reports will be prepared annually and submitted to ADB for disclosure on the ADB website, as required by the ADB's Safeguard Policy Statement (2009) for environment category B projects.

(i) ICB for procurement of works estimated at more than $3M and goods estimated at more than $500,000;

(ii) NCB for works and goods estimated to cost less than thresholds for ICB and more than $100,000;

(iii) Shopping for works and goods estimated at less than $100,000.