The
Kerala State Transport Project (costing 336 million US dollars)
aims to improve traffic flow and road safety on Kerala State's
primary road network, and to strengthen the institutional
and financial capacity of Kerala's key transport sector
agencies. The project has four main components:
1)
The transport corridor improvement component will support
upgrading of state highways, including related social
and environmental mitigation measures, and rehabilitating
inland water transport feeder canals.
2)
The road maintenance component will provide periodic maintenance
of state highways and major district roads.
3)
The road safety improvement component comprises consultant
services for blackspot identification, programming and
designing minor improvements works for State roads, minor
mitigation measures and recommendations identified through
this service will be implemented.
4)
The institutional development and technical assistance
(TA) component will provide services to implement the
institutional strengthening action plan by appointing
TA consultants in the areas of maintenance management
and data collection, and developing a road management
system
Objectives
1.
improve the capacity and quality of its highly congested
state highways and major district roads;
2. improve road maintenance planning and management practices;
3. reduce road accidents and fatalities along project
roads;
4. strengthen planning, technical and management capacities
of key road sector institutions;
5. implement reforms in the road sector to bring greater
private sector participation; and
6. pilot an inland water transport (IWT) project for testing
approaches to correct the current imbalance in the nodal
share between roadways and IWT in the State.
Components
of the project
- Upgrading
and widening of about 579 km of state highways and other
priority roads
- Improvements
of accident blackspots
- Periodic
maintenance of about 1000 km of state highways and other
priority roads
- Pilot
inland waterways improvement: upgrading and rehabilitating
about 93 km of inland waterways
- Land
acquisition / RR costs related to civil works
- Road
safety furniture, markings etc.
- Design
and supervision of civil works contracts
- Implementation
of Institutional Strengthening Action Plan
- Future
project preparation
Project
implementation
- Project
management team headed by Project Director to manage project
implementation
- Project
Coordination Consultant (PCC)
to assist PWD in project preparation and management with
a view of introducing international standards in project
design and exposing PWD staff to internationally accepted
project preparation practices and to train PWD staff
- PWD
to manage and supervise resettlement activities and responsible
for compensation payments –
- Institutional
Development Strategy (IDS)– and Maintenance Planning
study
by Lea International in association with Lea Associates
South Asia Pvt Ltd
- Construction
Supervision Consultant for upgrading works
- Construction
Supervision and Technical Audit Consultant for maintenance
works
- Project
Financial Management System
- Resettlement
and Rehabilitation plan through NGO consultancy
Present
status
Negotiations
conducted during February 2002 between World Bank, Government
of India and Government of Kerala for the World Bank loan
for implementing the Project.
The World Bank Board approved a long term loan of 255 million
US dollars to implement the project.
The process of bidding for upgradation works is on.
For maintenance works bids are being received and evaluation
is in progress.
Roads
Selected for upgradation (widening and strengthening)
| Link
No |
Road
Location |
Recommended
treatment |
Length
km |
| Package
1 |
Total
|
127.16 |
| 1 |
Taikod
- Kottarakkara |
10
m |
46.00 |
| 2 |
Kottarakkara
- Adur |
7
m |
20.85 |
| 3 |
Adur
- Chengannur |
7
m |
23.59 |
| 73 |
Alappuzha
- Changanaserry |
7
m |
24.14 |
| 72 |
Taikod
- NH 47 |
7
m |
12.58 |
| Package
2 |
Total |
84.58 |
| 26 |
Idukki
- Puliyanamala |
6
m |
33.08 |
| 70 |
Muvattupuzha-
Thodupuzha |
7
m |
17.70 |
| 6 |
Muvattupuzha-
Angamaly |
10
m |
33.80 |
| Package
3 |
Total |
78.28 |
| 50.1 |
Palakkad
- Shornur |
7
m |
45.30 |
| 40 |
Thrissur
- Kuttipuram |
10
m |
32.98 |
| Package
4 |
Total |
102.87 |
| 68 |
Pilathara
- pappinissery |
7
m |
21.00 |
| 69 |
Kasargode
- Kanhangad |
7
m |
28.07 |
| 74 |
Thalassery
- Valavupara |
7
m |
53.80 |
| Package
5 |
Total |
90.00 |
| 4 |
Chengannur
- Ettumanoor |
10
m |
47.00 |
| 5 |
Ettumanoor
- Muvattupuzha |
7
m |
43.00 |
| Package
6 |
Total |
131.30 |
| 84.1-84.4 |
Punalur
- Ponkunnam |
7
m |
81.00 |
| 84.5-84.8 |
Ponkunnam
- Thodupuzha |
7
m |
50.30 |
|
Total
Road Length |
|
614.69 |
Canals
Selected for improving
| Canal
Location |
Length
km |
| Changanasserry
- Alappuzha |
28.00 |
| Alappuzha
- Kottayam |
23.00 |
| Kottayam
- Vaikom |
42.00 |
| Total
Canal Length |
93.00 |
Roads
selected for improving in the first year
| Road
Location |
Length
km |
| Thiruvananthapuram
-Thaikod |
19.30 |
| Peroorkada
- Nedumangad |
12.00 |
| Thodupuzha
- Kalur - Oonnukal |
20.00 |
| Alwaye
- Kothamangalam Road |
17.00 |
| Thrissur
- Kodungalloor |
33.90 |
| Potta
- Moonupeedika |
20.90 |
| Cherpu-
Triprayar |
14.20 |
| Kozhikode-Mavoor |
10.50 |
| Sultan's
Bathery - Pulpally |
35.00 |
| Taliparamba
- Irity |
46.00 |
| Narukara
- State Border |
40.00 |
| Quilandy
- Thamarassery |
29.30 |
| Cherkala
- Jelsoor Road |
41.00 |
| Total
Road Length |
339.10 |
Advantages
The
project will improve traffic flow and road safety on Kerala's
primary road network. The project will support:
- improving
the capacity of highly congested state highways and major
district roads
- improving
road maintenance
- reducing
accidents
- piloting
inland water canal improvements
The
project is expected to
- reduce
vehicle operating costs and travel time by 20% on 1600
kms of roads
- reduce
the roughness of the road and make them more comfortable
for riding
- reduce
accidents by upto 30% by improving black spots on project
roads
The
roads to be improved will pass through 405 villages of 14
districts. It will
- improve
access to schools and health centres
- enhance
economic and social benefits for better access and enhanced
mobility
The
roads have been selected based on the considerations of
- traffic
congestion
- expected
economic returns
- network
connectivity, and
- links
to expected economic development
The
economic rate of return of roads being improved ranges from
13% to 63%, averaging 26%. The total net present value of
the improvement is estimated at US$ 809 million.
Road
safety component of the project will provide assistance
for activities such as
- accident
black spot improvement
- procuring
equipments for traffic police and pwd
- erecting
road signs, road markings delineators, guard rails etc
- re-organising
accident reporting system
- upgrading
children's road safety education programme
- training
traffic police
- supporting
steps for improved driver licensing, training, and testing
standards; vehicle testing standards; emergency services;
road safety research; and funding
The
road safety component of the project will be implemented
by coordinated arrangements between PWD, traffic police
and motor vehicle department.
