Samoa : Preparing the Central Cross Island Road Upgrading Project

Transport / Road transport (non-urban)

The Government of Samoa requested the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) assistance for Central Cross Island Road Upgrading (the ensuing Project) a priority investment in transport sector. Samoa's land transport depends on key arterial roads that serve the two main islands, Upolu where capital Apia is located, and Savai'i. Upolu is served by three cross-island roads strategically located at the eastern, western, and central sections. The Central Cross Island Road is the key arterial road connecting West Coast Road in Apia with the South Coast Road in Siumu. The project road is 19.70 kilometers (km) that provides access to 8 villages to the capital, Apia. The existing two-lane narrow carriageway (4 meters 5 meters) road with surface seal carrying up to 6,000 average daily traffic (ADT) along first 5 km, and up to 1,500 ADT thereafter, is unsafe for road users and in need of upgrading. The project will also improve institutional capacity of executing and implementing agencies to plan, execute and maintain investment projects and will provide support to the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment (MNRE) to improve their capacity in updating the current cadastral system.

The socioeconomic impacts from upgrading are expected to improve access to public services, particularly increase in rate of tertiary education, faster, and safer access to medical services, and spur economic activity in medium- to long-term through increase in tourism activities. Samoa's economy is based on subsistence level primary production. Crops, livestock, fisheries, and forestry account for 42% of gross domestic product (GDP) and provides 75% of the employment in the country. Tourism is growing and now represents 25% of the GDP. According to the Samoan Central Bank, the tourism sector is a key driver of country's economic development as it provides considerable employment and generates foreign exchange. The upgraded and climate change-proofed cross island road is also a major contribution to the island's disaster preparedness as it provides an alternate route for evacuation and post disaster relief and rehabilitation work between the northern and southern coasts.

The upgrading of the project road will result in a more reliable and safer road network. The project will be aligned with the following impacts as envisioned in the government's Transport Sector Plan 2014 2019: (i) Goal 1 strengthen transport sector governance framework; and (ii) Goal 2 improve, sustain, and climate-proof road transport network.

Although passable throughout the year, significant sections of the project road have fallen into disrepair and become a safety concern for commuters as well as pedestrians walking along the roadside. This is especially an issue along the first 3 km of the road which is situated in a semi-urban area. In 2012, tropical cyclone Evan hit Samoa and caused significant damage to its road infrastructure. Some of the critically damaged road sections (5 locations total of 3,720 km) were since widened and resurfaced by the Government. The existing narrow road lanes without adequate pedestrian facilities in semi-urban areas, deficient drainage throughout the entire length, as well as unsafe horizontal and vertical alignment in hilly road sections will become a significant hazard as traffic levels increase, particularly in wet conditions.

The World Bank and the Government of Australia have provided support to Samoa to restore road infrastructure after the cyclone in 2012 under the Enhanced Road Access Project (ERAP). Under the ERAP, initial economic viability, technical designs, preliminary safeguards documents, costs and draft bidding documents were prepared for the Cross Island Road and other key road links. Initial economic evaluations suggest high rates of economic return. Initial assessments of social, economic, and land acquisitions and resettlement impacts have also been commissioned under the ERAP. However, further detailed assessments will be required primarily to resolve road reserve issues relating to deficiencies between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment's cadastral data and survey done under the ERAP, and ensuring road safety and climate resilience features are incorporated into the project design.

Update as of 30 April 2020:

1. Consulting firm completed its contract on 30 June 2019 and has undertaken the following:

a. Finalized of feasibility study on the ensuing project.

b. Conducted due diligence to confirm and update the technical and economic feasibility of proposed solutions prepared under ERAP and prepared the necessary planning documents.

c. Prepared and finalized engineering design components, procurement, safeguards, and implementation plans.

d. Prepared the institutional capacity strengthening plan.

2. Engaged a Social Safeguards Specialist from April 2019 to May 2020 to review the resettlement plan, stakeholder communication, consultation plan and other relevant project documents to understand the safeguards planning undertaken to meet the ADB Safeguard Policy Statement (SPS) and relevant existing laws and policies in Samoa.