Cambodia: Rural Roads Improvement Project III

Transport / Road transport (non-urban)

Sector context. The principal mode of transport in Cambodia is by road. The road network of about 61,500 km includes (i) about 7,260 km of national roads (primary national highways), (ii) about 9,000 km of provincial roads (secondary national highways), and (iii) about 45,200 km of rural roads. The Ministry of Public Works and Transport manages the national and provincial roads, while MRD manages the rural roads.

By the early 1990s, several years of civil war had severely deteriorated the country's road network. Since 1992, with assistance from ADB and other multilateral and bilateral development partners, the government focused on rehabilitating the core national infrastructure required for the economy to develop in a sustainable manner. As of 2017, development efforts over the past 25 years have brought the paved national and provincial road network to about 8,526 km in length, or about 52.3% of the total national and provincial road network.

However, the rural road network needs further improvement as well. Only about 2,000 km, or 4.4% of rural roads have been paved as of 2017. Rural roads have a daily traffic volume of about 200 3,000 passenger car units, and motorcycles and three-wheel vehicles account for more than 80% of the traffic. The annual growth rate of the traffic volume is 4% 6% and is projected to increase by 7% 12% by 2025, requiring more paved rural roads to accommodate future traffic.

Because of rapid economic development and activity, overloading of cargo vehicles has been the major cause of road damage in Cambodia since 2007. This is also a significant issue for rural roads because trucks that haul agricultural products and carry quarry materials for construction tend to be overloaded.

Cambodia experiences frequent flooding during the wet season, severely damaging most of the laterite rural roads and making them impassable. Such damage causes significant livelihood losses for rural residents and entails repair costs. Thus, road design requires structural changes to specifically deal with disaster risk and adapt to future precipitation increases caused by climate change.

In 2009, ADB initiated a systematic approach to rehabilitating rural roads to paved condition and helping the government develop a sustainable road network. In 2010, ADB approved RRIP, for rehabilitating 505 km of rural roads with four outputs: (i) improved road asset management; (ii) increased road safety and safeguards; (iii) enhanced climate change adaptation; and (iv) efficient project management. This first project was cofinanced in parallel by (i) the Government of the Republic of Korea, through the Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM), which financed the civil works of rehabilitating 280 km of rural roads and related consulting services; and (ii) the Nordic Development Fund (NDF), which financed the climate change adaptation output.

In 2016, after 5 years of project implementation, MRD successfully completed all ADB- and KEXIM-financed outputs on time and within budget, building substantial capacity in multiple areas of project implementation. Capacity building was highly notable for the Social and Environment Office (SEO), which was established in 2012 under MRD to implement social and environment safeguards, road safety, HIV prevention activities, and gender-related activities.

MRD showed strong ownership in designing the succeeding project using mostly the loan proceeds of the first project. ADB approved RRIP II in 2014 and additional cofinancing in 2015. RRIP II will rehabilitate 1,200 km of rural roads. Its cofinanciers are Agence Fran aise de D veloppement (French Development Agency), the Government of Australia, KEXIM, and the NDF. Both RRIP and RRIP II followed a similar design with similar outputs and aimed to provide reliable all-year road access from provincial towns and agricultural rural areas to markets, employment centers, and social services. RRIP covered seven rural provinces, with RRIP II including an additional three beneficiary provinces. Implementation of RRIP II is on track.

The overall project progress as of 21 February 2020 is 4.47%, which is slightly ahead of planned progress of 3.50%.

Bidding process for CW packages (CW-A, CW-B1 and CW-C) are ongoing with contract awards expected in Q2 2020. CW-D and CW-E packages will be advertised in Q2 2020.

The consultant commenced services on 1 April 2019 and mobilized experts to reinforce the detailed design team. As of 30 November 2019, the topographic survey in Kampong Cham Province has been completed and topographic map has been produced. Also, the geotechnical survey of field work have been completed and geotechnical survey report submitted. The progress of detailed designed and bidding document achieved so far is 98%.

As of 21 February 2020, the civil works under contract CW-B2 has been progressing smoothly. CW-B2 progress achieved 47.52% %, against the planned 16.39% progress. The mine/UXO subcontractor completed field detection. Clearance report and certificate was submitted in July 2019.

Rural roads improved

Rural road asset management improved

Awareness of road safety and potential social problems strengthened

HTPP will be financed under respective civil works contracts and local service providers will be hired to deliver the program, with guidance from SEO staff.

As of 21 February 2020, the civil works under contract CW-B2 has been progressing smoothly. CW-B2 progress achieved 47.52% %, against the planned 16.39% progress. The mine/UXO subcontractor completed field detection. Clearance report and certificate was submitted in July 2019.

The consultant commenced services on 1 April 2019 and the detailed design of project roads of 5 civil works contracts are ongoing.

Bidding process for CW packages (CW-A, CW-B1 and CW-C) are ongoing with contract awards expected in Q2 2020. CW-D and CW-E packages will be advertised in Q2 2020.

The project is confirmed as category B. An IEE and an EMP, that covers all project roads, has been prepared. Works will be limited to the existing right of way so negative construction environmental impacts will be short-term and localized, such as access and traffic disruption, noise and dust. Potentially sensitive environmental receptors along road corridors, such as villages, schools, pagodas, river crossings have been identified and specific mitigation measures identified.

MRD through their Social and Environmental Office (SEO) and Provincial Departments of Rural Development (PDRDs) are responsible for implementation of the EMP with technical support from DDIS Environmental Specialist. The SEO have built up capacity through the implementation of the two previous projects (RRIP and RRIP II) and identified priority training needs for RRIP3 during consultation meetings with ADB.