Asian Development Bank

New road projects are being planned for India’s Karnataka State and Maharashtra State. A US$228.56 million contract has been awarded to Sadhbav Engineering for the Nagpur-Mumbai Super Communication Expressway. The route will be access-controlled and the deal was awarded by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation.

Vietnam is expanding its road and highway network with a series of major projects, as well as numerous upgrades to rural roads. A funding deal worth US$1.6 billion is being provided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the Ben Luc yo Long Thanh National Highway. This route connects Dong Nai, Ho Chi Minh City and Long An. A portion of the necessary funding for ground clearance for the route is being provided by Vietnam’s State Budget. However the country is stopping work on the National Highway 3 project

Funding is being secured for a road rebuild and widening project in Tajikistan. The 82km road runs between Dushanbe and Bokhtar and the work should be complete by 2023. The Chinese contractor Xinjiang Beixin is working on phase 1 of the project, building a 33km stretch of the route that is costing US$96 million. Phase 2 of the project is for a 40km section of the route, with construction due to start in the second half of 2018. The phase 2 construction work will be financed by $90 million of funding being s

A new bridge crossing is being planned for the River Ganges in northern India. The bridge will be 9.9km long and will cost US$291 million to build, with completion scheduled for late 2021. The bridge will carry three lanes in either direction and will be built at Allahabad, the confluence of the Ganges and its tributary, the Yamuna River. At present the existing Phaphamu Bridge at Allahabad is congested as it features just two lanes. The new bridge will help to improve transport to the important religious a

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing a loan facility that will help Papua New Guinea to rebuild its Highlands Highway.

New highway bypasses are being planned for South Kazakhstan. The routes will bypass the cities of Shymkent and Sarygash and will feature two lanes in either direction. The projects are costing US$303.5 million in all to construct. A portion of the necessary funding for constrution and operation of these bypasses will be provided via grant from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Road in the area around Mindanao in the Philippines will benefit from the provision of a loan worth US$380 million. This funding package is being supplied by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The loan will be used for the Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector project. This is intended to improve and upgrade up to 280km of roads in the area. A further $123 million is being provided by the Philippines Government for the work, which will cost $503 million in all.

Sri Lanka is setting out plans for improvements to around 3,400km of rural roads. The work will largely be paid for through a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The work will cost US$172.1 million in all, of which $150 million will be in the shape of the ADB loan and the remaining $22.1 million coming from the Sri Lankan Government budget.

Funding worth US$1.2 billion will help pay for the stage two portion of the project to upgrade the Northwest Trade Corridor project in Bangladesh. The highway will improve transport connections to and from Dhaka, with stage two being for the 190km stretch between Elenga and Rangpur. This funding is being provided by the Philippines-based Asian Development Bank (ADB), although further financing from the Bangladesh Government will pay for the remaining $472.6 million required for this highway section.

Plans are now being drawn up for a series of projects that will form part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Four road projects worth over US$3.32 billion have been added to the CPEC programme. The Chinese Government is now in agreement with the plans for the CPEC. One of the new roads being built will run from Naukundi, through Mashkel and to Panjgur. The road will join National highway N-40 with CPEC Route N-85, and the Zhob-Kuchlak route. This last link forms part of the Western Corridor CPE