World Bank to support road expansion project in Timor-Leste

TIN news:  The World Bank has agreed to provide $35.2m in credit to the Timor-Leste for a transport project that will see a road expansion in order to improve transport infrastructure between the country's north and south regions. 

Financing of the Timor-Leste Road Climate Resilience Project will be used for improvement of drainage facilities, as well as laying of new pavement on the 22.6km mountainous road from Laulara, south of capital city Dili, to Solerema.

Overall road rehabilitation project will cover 110km of road connecting three important districts Dili, Aileu, and Ainaro in the region.

Construction works will begin between Laulara and Solerema section by mid-2018 and are expected to be completed by the end of next year.

World Bank Timor-Leste country representative Bolormaa Amgaabazar said: “The corridor between Dili and Ainaro is a vital lifeline for more than one-third of Timor-Leste.

“This investment will make travel on one of the country’s busiest routes safer and more resilient. The project will also help many remote communities reduce transport time and costs as they connect to services and markets.”

Upon completion, the Solerema section will be linked to the already-rebuilt road from Dili connecting to the Ainaro Road, which is currently under construction.

The project will also focus on the feasibility studies and detailed designs for future road improvements plans for the crucial Dili-Ainaro corridor.