The project has three main components, the first of which pertains to reducing the isolation of the people and providing commune-level socioeconomic infrastructures through the following activities: (i) the rehabilitation of 210 kilometers of the earth road interconnecting Kita-Toukoto-Bafoulabé ; (ii) the rehabilitation of 140 kilometers of the Bandiagara-Douentza-Bretelle Togo Tongo road in the Mopti region; (iii) maintenance of 1,400 kilometers of rural roads, including 600 kilometers in the area covered by the Compagnie Malienne pour le Développement des Textiles (CMDT [textile development]), 400 kilometers in the area covered by the Office de la Haute Vallée du Niger (OHVN-[Upper Niger River Valley program]), and 400 kilometers to be selected in cooperation with the beneficiaries, the Ministry in charge of roads, and the Ministry of Agriculture.
It also includes: (i) the maintenance of about 170 kilometers of the Fana-Dioïla-Massigui-Koualé road and roughly 80 kilometers of the Dioïla-Sorokoro-Fana road; (ii) the financing of small commune-level socioeconomic infrastructures alongside the rehabilitated roads (rehabilitation of schools; construction of management centers for cooperatives, training, and commune-level stores, the outfitting of rural markets, the establishment of multifunction agricultural production platforms, a small ferry and access ramp to the Niger River, the drilling of wells, the provision of pumps and solar energy equipment, etc.); and (iii) the reconstruction of four wharves along the Niger River at Diafarabé, Dioro, Konna, and Ténenkou, in order to improve river transport and contribute to reducing the isolation of the rural areas along the river.
The second component is devoted to improving the transport system of the city of Bamako through: (i) the rehabilitation of the Boulevard du Peuple (reconstruction of a segment approximately 1.3 kilometers in length to provide four traffic lanes, two for high-capacity buses and two for other users, together with permanent sidewalks and the construction of two pedestrian bridges); and (ii) construction of a ring road approximately 4.8 kilometers in length around the Bamako city center, to be known as the "SOTRAMA Ring"Â and be reserved for minibus traffic, including pullouts for the loading and unloading of passengers, as well as bus shelters arrayed around the city center. In addition, several crossroads will be rehabilitated or improved, streets will be redirected in the areas affected by the construction activities, junctions and pedestrian bridges will be clearly marked, and protected pedestrian passages developed, some two-way roads will be converted to one-way roads, and public lighting and traffic control signals will be provided for some intersections. Approximately 1.7 kilometers of streets in the city center will be improved, prohibiting access by minibuses and reinstalling roadside stands on the sidewalks to improve the circulation of pedestrian traffic. It is also planned to provide institutional support to the Directorate of Traffic Regulation and Urban Transport (DRCTU), this in the form of technical assistance, training, and the purchase of equipment and information technology materials.
The third and final component deals with institutional strengthening, management of the project, monitoring and evaluation, and environmental and social aspects. It involves assisting the structures involved (such as the National Roads Directorate, the National Directorate of Land, Maritime, and River Transport, the National Directorate for Sanitation and the Control of Pollution and Hazards, the National Water Supply Directorate, the Road Authority, and the Directorate of Traffic Regulation and Urban Transport) with implementing the financial and institutional mechanisms required to ensure sustainable road maintenance.
The Bank team, headed by Siélé Silué, Senior Transport Specialist and Project Leader in Washington, has great hopes for PST 2, which," owing to its multisectoral nature, should support Mali's economic growth and thereby contribute to combating poverty in Mali." -the World Bank -The World Bank
Posted May 25th, 2007 by Anastvatz
