World Bank approves US$ 400 million Ukrainian road project

The World Bank has approved a US$ 400 million grant for Ukraine's Roads and Safety Improvement Project, its first transport project in Ukraine, with the aim of improving sections of the M-03 road.

Implemented by Ukravtodor, Ukraine's State Road Administration, the project forms part of the World Bank's response to the social and economic crisis affecting the country, and, according to a statement on its website "lay[s] the foundations for future growth and competitiveness, while at the same time creating jobs and fiscal stimulus to mitigate the effects of the economic downturn."

An important transit country between Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the European market, the project aims to integrate Ukraine's transport network with the European Union's. It will also help make travel by road safer, helping reduce the high rate of accident related deaths and injuries in Ukraine (7690 people died in road accidents in 2008).

"This project comes just at the right time for Ukraine," said Martin Raiser, World Bank country director for Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus. "It helps lay the foundations for future growth and competitiveness through improved transport infrastructure. At the same time, it will create demand for local jobs and civil works, thus helping reduce the negative impact of the current crisis on people's livelihoods."

The Roads and Safety Improvement Project will finance various activities under the following main components:

• Road Rehabilitation of a 120 km section (Boryspil-Lubny) of the Kyiv-Kharkiv-Dovzhansky road (M-03), including the rehabilitation/strengthening of the existing M-03 road, including safety measures - signalling, lighting in critical sections, crash barriers - and pedestrian crossings, parking, and "special facilities".
• Road safety improvement targeting about 110 black spots through installation of vertical and horizontal signalling, reflectors, rumble strips, and crash barriers at the most critical.
• Capacity Building. Provision of advisory services, training and equipment to enhance road management according to international practice