Côte d'Ivoire - Project Upgrade Access Roads to Border Areas Phase 1

The proposed intervention is Project Phase 1 to Upgrade Access Roads to Cross-Border Areas, which is part of the WAEMU Community Action Programme on Road Transport Infrastructure (PACITR). PACITR, which has several components, including cross-border roads, has identified a sub-programme of 2,063 km of cross-border roads, of which 285 km lie on Côte d'Ivoire territory. These modern dirt roads are in very poor condition with geometric and structural features that make them ill adapted to the traffic volume, rainfall and topography of the area. Phase 1 will involve the construction of cross-border roads in the Bondoukou area, including the Bondoukou-Soko-Ghana Border highway. The expected project outcomes are: (i) reduced transport costs; (ii) increased traffic on the highway; (iii) development of economic activities; (iv) improved farming and agricultural produce marketing (food crops and cash crops); and (v) improved living conditions for local communities. The total project cost (net of taxes and customs duties), including the physical and financial contingencies of Phase 1, is estimated at UA 25.30 million or EUR 30.29 million. Implementation will take four years.