Timor-Leste: Road Network Upgrading Project

Transport / Road transport (non-urban)

Roads play a vital role in the economy and country integration of Timor-Leste. Roads are the primary mode of transport, carrying about 90% of passengers, and 70% of freight. The core network comprises of 1,426 km of national roads, and 869 km of district roads. The national road network, linking the 13 national districts, comprises northern and southern coastal roads; and five roads traversing north-south, connecting the two coastal roads. The district roads link secondary population centers to the national roads. The core network is supplemented by 716 km of urban roads, most of which are in Dili. Rural roads, about 3,000 km in length, provide access to villages and the more remote areas. Recent surveys indicate that almost the entire core road network is in an un-maintainable condition. Only about 8% of the core road network was assessed to be in fair condition, about 22% in poor condition, and about 70% in very poor condition.

Transport services, for both passengers and goods, are provided by the private sector with minibuses and light trucks but services are constrained by the narrow roads and difficult

terrain in addition to the generally poor condition of the roads. These conditions result in high costs and unreliable services. In 2008, there were 1,656 road accidents or about 15 accidents per 10,000 of the population, with most road accidents not resulting in injuries not reported. Lack of regulation of the sector, lack of road safety awareness, and poor road conditions contribute to the relatively high accident rates. The vehicle fleet (excluding motorcycles) doubled between 2005 and 2009, with a three-fold increase in motorcycles.

Supported by offshore petroleum revenue, the Strategic Development Plan (SDP) 2011-2030 aims to sustain double-digit rates of economic growth and fast track economic development. The vision for 2030 is a modern and diversified economy with high quality infrastructure. The SDP envisages two pillars for development - basic infrastructure and human capital development. Increased public investment on the two pillars over the first five years of SDP is intended to create the conditions necessary to attract private investment and ensure a private sector led economy by 2030. Improvement of land transport is a key factor.

Since the democratic consultation on 30 August 1999, ADB has been the lead evelopment agency in the road transport sector. It has provided six TAs, three project grants, and one sector grant to support the road sector development. ADB's Country Operations Business Plan for 2008-2010 directly tied development outcomes to the goals of the National development Plan, predecessor of the SDP, which emphasized development of transport infrastructure. A new country partnership strategy 2011-2015 is being prepared, under which roads and other key infrastructure will remain a priority.

To improve the performance of road sector, the MOI, assisted by ADB, has developed a medium-term road network development program (MTRNDP), the implementation of which started in 2010 with ADB Grant 0180-TIM: Road Network Development Sector Project. This project is implementing a road maintenance program in the districts served by the ubproject roads.

The proposed Road Network Upgrading Sector Project (the Project) will support upgrading of Timor-Leste's national road network to accommodate rapid economic and social development. The Project will use a sector approach to finance a portion of the MTRNDP, which was prepared under ADB TA 7100-TIM (footnote 1). A sector approach is considered appropriate because (i) MTRNDP is the MOI' road sector development plan; and (ii) MOI, assisted by its Project Management Unit has experience of implementing past ADB projects nd two ongoing sector projects.

The Government of Timor-Leste requested that priority consideration should be given to upgrading of the Dili-Manatuto road (58.3 km). Rehabilitation of the roads from Dili to Liquica (33.5 km) and from Tibar to Gleno (33.3 km) was expected to be carried out under the Road Network Development Sector Project. However, an increase in the estimated cost of other subprojects has meant that funds will be insufficient. These roads will therefore be upgraded under the Project, subject to meeting eligibility criteria. The Manatuto-Baucau road (57.3 km) and the trans-island Manatuto-Natarbora road (80.9 km) are also potential subprojects given their importance for integrated national development. The north coast roads are in generally fair condition but constrain growth because of their narrow width and poor alignment. The Manatuto-Natarbora road is in very poor condition.

Lessons from ADB's previous projects will be incorporated in the project design. The main lessons are: (i) sector approaches have been useful in allowing the government to progressively expand its leadership in the road sector and in providing flexibility; (ii) sustainability requires attention to institutional capacity and long-term road maintenance strategies; and (iii) community participation in road works has been successful in extending the benefit of national road development to roadside communities. The project will respond to a key performance evaluation report observation that past project interventions have not produced significant impacts because the "patch-and-mend" approach did not result in significant improvements. The Project will improve specific routes through appropriately scaled upgrading.

National roads will be upgraded and climate proofed

Feasibility studies and detailed design for the future upgrading of a priority road link are prepared.

Performance based road maintenance contracts are introduced.

Awareness of road safety and transport-related social issues will be increased.

Civil works for Tibar Port- Liquica (20.15km) completed on 15 August 2016; PBM completed in August 2018. Civil works for Tibar to Gleno (31.90km) completed on 30 April 2016; PBM completed in May 2018.

Civil works for Tasitolou-Tibar (4 lanes) (4.5km) is still ongoing. As of August 2020, the road section is already 90% equivalent to 4.05km have been completed.

As of August 2020, the total completed roads under Loans 2857/2858/3181 is equivalent to 56.10km equivalent to 99.20% of total target of 57km with roughness of about 4m/km.

The government requested loan closing extension of Loan 3181 until 30 December 2022.

Under Grant 0504, total of 22.70km completed as of August 2020 with the following breakdown: C13 - 46% complete; C16/17 Package 1 -100% complete; and C16/17 Package 2 - 24% complete.

Note that as per civil works contracts, the total km for completion is 41.34km (93.95% of target 44kms) composed of 11.81km under C13; 13.50km under C16/17 Package 1; and 16.03km under C16/17 Package 2.

A 2.5km missing link located between C16/17 Package 1 and C16/17 Package 2 is proposed to be financed by existing contractor's contract contingency allocation. Supervision consultant is awaiting instructions from PMU on this matter.

Local workers are hired by contactors based on the location of the road sections. Exact number of local workers including % of women and % involved in bioengineering work have yet to be determined/assessed.

Completed

Completed

Roads under L2857/2858 which were completed in 2016 were under PBM. R3: Tibar-Liquica Road Section (20.15km), and R4A: Tibar Gleno Road Section (31.90km)

to be assessed

To be assessed.

To be assessed.

Feasibility studies have been completed in January 2015.

Completed

Consultations were carried out with potential beneficiaries and key stakeholders at the national, district, subdistrict, suco (village) and aldeia (sub-village) levels, through meetings, interviews, and focus group discussions. The participants were women and men from roadside communities, government agencies, the national Parliament, development partners, women's organizations, NGOs, and the private sector. At the national level, consultations were held with the Women Parliamentarians' Caucus; the Parliamentary Committee on Poverty Reduction, Rural Development and Gender Equality; the Secretariat of State for the Promotion of Equality; and the Ministry of Economy and Development.

Development partners consulted include the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste, the International Labour Organization, Japan International Cooperation Agency, the World Bank, Irish Aid, and the Australian Agency for International Development. At the subnational level, consultation meetings and interviews were organized with heads of districts, subdistricts and villages (suco), sub-villages (aldeia) and village councils (conculo de suco), and community development officers, along with community and religious leaders, roadside communities, local business vendors, local NGOs, and drivers. The consultation meetings were facilitated by NGOs such as Rede Feto, Kaukus Perempuan, Alola Foundation, and Luta Hamutuk. Overall, consultations indicated strong support

for the project. Resettlement, land acquisition, and the compensation package was the most critical issue raised by stakeholders and potential partners. To address this issue, a resettlement framework has been prepared and gender issues regarding customary land tenure are addressed in the resettlement framework and GAP.

Engagement of consultants follow Guidelines on the Use of Consultants by ADB and its Borrowers (https://www.adb.org/documents/guidelines-use-consultants-asian-development-bank-and-its-borrowers)

Follow this link to find project specific procurement plan

https://www.adb.org/projects/documents/road-network-upgrading-project-procurement-plan

All procurement of goods and works follow ADB's Procurement Guidelines (https://www.adb.org/documents/procurement-guidelines)

Follow this link to find project specific procurement plan

https://www.adb.org/projects/documents/road-network-upgrading-project-procurement-plan