Western Economic Corridor Tender

Project ID P169880Region South AsiaCommitment Amount US 500.00 millionTotal Project Cost US 758.20 millionThe proposed program will comprise of upgrading 260km of existing highway corridor11 hereafter referred to as the program corridor upgrading and rehabilitating feeder roads complementary logistics infrastructure improvements and road sector modernization and capacity building. The program will also support the laying of Optical FiberUtility duct along the program corridor and selected feeder roads. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank AIIB will also support the program and finance the upgrading of 160Km Jhenaidah-BonparaHatikumrul of the program corridor through a parallel financing arrangement. The program would have following components I. Component 1 Upgrading Highway Corridor. This component will upgrade the following 260km of national and regional highways i Bhomra-Satkhira-Navaron ii Jessore- Jhenaidah and iii Jhenaidah-Bonpara Hatikumrul. This will encompass upgrading of existing two-lane road from to four lanes. Separate Slow-Moving Vehicle Traffic SMVT lanes will be introduced on both sides of the main carriageway. The physical segregation of SMVT from normal motorized traffic is anticipated to decrease the potential for serious accidents. The presence of a central median and safety barrier will also reduce the potential for head-on collisions. This component will also finance the laying of Optical Fiber Cable OFCutility duct alongside the road corridor. Laying duct at the time of road construction would allow for significant cost savings. II. Component 2 Upgrading and rehabilitating feeder connectivity infrastructure. This component will finance the upgrading of priority Upazila and Union roads that connect to the program corridor schools health facilities and local markets. The selection of roads to be supported by the project will be guided by an assessment of connectivity needs of program corridor to markets to hinterland that will be undertaken during project preparation. In addition the component will also finance Optical fiber cable duct for select Upazila roads. III. Component 3 Complementary logistics infrastructure improvements. This component will finance complementary logistics infrastructure improvements including development of community market structures with a focus female participation for fresh produce fruits vegetables dairy and poultry