Rehabilitation and Construction of Feeder Roads

Project description

Title: Feeder Road Construction
Commissioned by: UN World Food Programme
Financing organisation: UN World Food Programme
Country: South Sudan
Lead executing agency: Ministry of Roads and Bridges
Overall term: 2004 to 2013

Context

After decades of armed conflict, the road network in South Sudan has been largely destroyed. Where roads have been built, they are generally of poor quality. There are currently only 300 kilometres of asphalt roads in the entire country. Until the peace agreement of 2005, the majority of the population was cut off from supply routes, and this greatly hindered the humanitarian aid efforts of the United Nations.

The difficulty of transporting goods continues to jeopardise the food security of the South Sudanese people. The economic and social development of the world’s youngest country is being hampered by the high costs, in terms of both time and money, involved in the transport of goods.

Objective

Better road infrastructure in South Sudan has improved the country’s food security and reduced poverty. The foundations have been laid for the country’s economic development.

Approach

On behalf of the UN World Food Programme, the project has taken on the planning, management and monitoring of road construction. This work includes the rehabilitation, construction and maintenance of major arteries, access and feeder roads, dikes and bridges. One of project’s first measures was to repair the main roads so that they could be used by aid convoys. Since 2011 feeder roads have been built, opening up access to larger settlements, towns and markets that used to be entirely cut off.

The labour-intensive road construction work provides employment for people from the surrounding communities, giving them an opportunity to increase their household incomes. South Sudanese engineers and employees of the partner ministry are being trained and upgraded.

Results achieved so far

Some 1,800 kilometres of roads along the main arteries have been repaired or newly constructed. 200 kilometres of access roads and 13 bridges have already been completed. Thirty kilometres of dikes have been built to protect the roads from flooding. Water reservoirs with a volume of some 120,000 cubic metres have been constructed as a reserve supply for households and agriculture.