Sheladia Associates, Inc.

Afghanistan has a limited road network, has neglected road maintenance over the many decades of internal struggle, and has not made an adequate investment for over two decades affecting the quality of transport service and socio-economic development. Since formation of Transitional Islamic Government of Afghanistan (TIGA) substantial efforts and investments are being made in rebuilding the infrastructure sector. TIGA has declared reconstruction and rehabilitation of the road system as country’s top priority and is committed to work towards national integration. Total investment requirement over the 7-year period for the transport sector is $12.3 billion. A Transport Sector Strategy Report has been prepared which sets the policy direction for the transport sector. To support the Government’s development initiative in the transport sector, the ADB has approved an Advisory TA to provide technical assistance for preparing a Road Sector Master Plan in order to help guide the policy formulation and the investment in the road sector. The TA aims to foster economic growth and social cohesion by ensuring an efficient road network and thereby reduce poverty, facilitate trade, provide a basis for regionally-balanced development, expand investment and increase employment.

Brief Description of Services Provided *Launching meeting, preliminary information gathering, and analysis of road sector

• Inventory of the present road network and generation of sufficient information for examining road network development options to preliminary feasibility study level
• Preparation, holding, and consideration of stakeholder workshops
• Collection of demographic and economic data, and comprehensive analysis of demographic and economic activity distribution, transport network structure and characteristics, and transport and poverty linkage and its impact on the road infrastructure in the next 10-20 years
• Identification of main road network required to meet transport needs at national and provincial levels
• Preliminary assessment of environmental, social, and resettlement issues associated with development of the road network and recommendation of measures to address such issues
• Traffic assessment and development of forecast
• Development of GIS-based Road Information System (RIS) and procedures to integrate HDM-4 with RIS for highway asset management
• Analysis of potential for rail links to facilitate international trade and assessment of preliminary feasibility
• Estimation of required network capacity, road design standards, intervention needed, and costing of interventions
• Operation and maintenance financing: analysis of road sector investment and maintenance costs, revenues, pricing, and taxation, and preparation of cost recovery strategy and implementation mechanism
• Prioritization of identified interventions for road network development and preparation of a Road Master Plan
• Training and institutional strengthening.