| Project Detail |
Project Name
Preparing the Resilient and Inclusive Economic Corridor Improvement Project
Project Number
56317-002
Country / Economy
Armenia
Project Status
Approved
Project Type / Modality of Assistance
Technical Assistance
The Technical Assistance will support the preparation of the proposed Resilient and Inclusive Economic Corridor Improvement Project. The Resilient and Inclusive Economic Corridor Improvement Project has a length of 27.2 km and is a green field alignment traversing mountainous terrain and includes 16 bridges and 3 tunnels. The estimated cost is $400 million with ADBs share of financing to be $255 mil and cofinancing by EIB in the amount of $107 mil. The proposed project is designed to (i) address inefficiencies in transport and logistics to and from one of the only two open borders in the country, (ii) alleviate emerging regional socio-economic disparities, (iii) provide safety, sustainability, and climate resilience of road assets, and (iv) expand the economic benefit of infrastructure investment to the region.
Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy
The proposed project is an integral part of the NSRC that aims to connect the countrys northern and southern borders. The government has declared the completion of the NSRC as its highest priority.
The project is included in the country operations business plan for Armenia, 20212023 and aligns with the country partnership strategy for Armenia, 20192023. The proposed project delivers on Sustainable Development Goal 11 on sustainable cities and communities, and Goal 13 on climate change and its impacts. The project will support five of ADBs Strategy 2030 operational priorities (OPs): (i) OP 7: fostering regional cooperation and integration by addressing regional disparities; (ii) OP 4: making cities more livable by promoting the creation of more livable cities using integrated solutions; (iii) OP 3: tackling climate change, building climate and disaster resilience, and enhancing environmental sustainability by incorporating climate resilience and integrated environmental management; (iv) OP 2: accelerating progress in gender equality by gender mainstreaming into transport planning processes; and (v) OP 6: strengthening governance and institutional capacity for financial sustainability.
The technical assistance (TA) will support the preparation of the Resilient and Inclusive Economic Corridor Improvement Project. The majority of due diligence has been completed and the aim of the TA is to augment and expand the work carried out to date to bring all aspects in line with ADBs requirements. This will include (i) a review of available due diligence documents, (ii) support for the Road Department Fund to update the existing bidding documents according to the proposed package assignment, (iii) maximization of climate adaptation and mitigation in the design to the extent possible, (iv) support for the preparation of revised bidding documents, (v) review of environmental and social impact assessment reports to ensure compliance with ADB requirements, (vi) review of road safety recommendations to ensure compliance with ADB requirements, (vii) expansion of gender initiatives, and (viii) introduction of performance-based maintenance guidelines and best practices manuals. Further, the TA will increase the capacity of the Road Department Fund, which will serve as an implementing agency for the project. |
