Project Name: Road Maintenance Capability in Lao PDR

Project Narrative

Lao PDR is a land-locked country and its transport infrastructure and system heavily rely on road transport to carry both goods and passengers to/from neighboring countries. The road transport in Laos is reported to carry 80% of total domestic cargos and 85% of total passengers transported in entire Laos. The Lao Government heavily channels its investment to development of national trunk roads, and, accordingly, 70% of 7,200 km national roads have already been paved. Due to financial constraints, the Lao Government has been encouraged to pave the national roads by Double Bituminous Surface Treatment (DBST) for the last decades (Accordingly, 90% of the paved national roads are paved by DBST). Having said so, the national roads are being paved by Asphalt Concrete (AC) under the bilateral and multilateral donors’ projects, including that at NR-3, NR-4 and NR-9. Pavement of the national roads is being deteriorated and quite a number of potholes and cracks are observed, due to a lack of local planning/ technical/financial capability in road management and maintenance. And which contributes to hindering provision of safe and
reliable transport system and hence development of regional economic activities.

As discussed above, WB, together with other donors, has been supporting to develop individual/ financial/ institutional capability of road maintenance in Laos due to the limited budget for road maintenance and fragile institutional framework, however, there still need further supports to realize effective and efficient road maintenance system solely by local authority. To do so, i) improved management of road maintenance system and database, ii) sound planning for both road maintenance and budget, iii) effective implementation of road maintenance cycle (inspection, evaluation, implementation), and iv) appropriate procurement and auditing system to manage performance-based contract and sub-let rehabilitation works, all need to be improved and coordinated each other.

Fund Sources

Granted by Japan International Cooperation Agency 

Overall Contract Amount

–

Project Owner / Counter Part

Department of Public Works and Transport, Savannakhet Province

Associated Firm / Partner

International Development Centre of Japan (IDCJ)

What Mekong consultant Co., Ltd contributes

1.Supervision Assistance Services
2. General Provision (Provision of vehicle for site supervisor including fuel)
3. Topographic Survey Works
4. Sub-Soil Investigation

                                                                                (Photo of  Activities)

Location

Savannakhet Province

Duration

May 2012 – Mar 2018

Project Status under Mekong Consultants Co., Ltd
>>Completed<<