Implementation Support and Supervision Consultancy Services for Local Roads of Five Provinces

This assignment is funded by the World Bank under its “Southeast Asia Regional Economic Corridor and Connectivity Project”, a 200 million USD loan aimed at improving logistics connectivity and cross-border trade in selected economic corridors in Northern Laos, facilitating the road transport with neighboring countries.

The specific intervention aims at attaining a more efficient, more sustainable, more climate resilient and a safer local road network, enhancing Laos’ internal and regional connectivity, contributing to the sustainable economic growth of domestic and foreign trade, reducing transportation costs, and significantly decreasing travelling time from rural to urban areas.

The team from IRD Engineering provide implementation support and works supervision services to the Department of Roads under the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, focusing on the enhancement of climate resilience and safety of selected local roads with an overall length of almost 400 km in the provinces of Phongsaly, Oudomxay, Luangnamtha, Xayabouly, and Luangprabang, using a hybrid performance-based contract (PBC) approach, and in full compliance with the environmental and social safeguards required by the World Bank and the Government of Lao PDR.