Project Summary

Project General Description

The Road Infrastructure Modernization Project (PMIR) is aimed at completing actions embarked on in the late 90s to upgrade Tunisia’s classified road network. It seeks to rehabilitate 719 kilometres of classified roads, most of which are in the country’s inland governorates (West, Centre-West and North-West) that, unlike the coastal regions, are less equipped with economic infrastructure. PMIR should also upgrade some civil engineering structures on the classified network to make them more resilient to the effects of climate change and give them features that are consistent with the service level and the expected traffic on the network. The project will support integrated rural development programmes, cultural, ecological and Saharan tourism development projects, the Gafsa Mining Basin Economic Renewal Project, including ongoing programmes to establish free industrial and trade zones in the country (Zarzis Port in the South, industrial zones and logistics platforms in Kairouan in the Centre, and in Béja, Jendouba and Kef in the North-East and West). It will help to open up agricultural production areas by linking them to the classified road network. The total cost, net of taxes and duties, is estimated at EUR 386.26 million.

Project Objectives

PMIR’s goal is to improve the quality of the classified road network and conditions of user traffic in the target areas. Its sector objective is to contribute to promoting an efficient and high quality transport system in order to sustain growth and create conditions conducive to enhanced export competitiveness. Its implementation will improve user mobility on the classified road network by reducing transport constraints resulting from the narrowness and structure of carriageways. In addition, its implementation will contribute to protecting the existing road network, while fostering intra- and inter-regional trade and reducing regional social disparities. Lastly, it will reduce accidents and improve road infrastructure resilience to the effects of climate change. To achieve these objectives, project activities have been grouped into the components summarized in the table below.

Beneficiaries

The project will benefit the entire population, particularly people in the North-West (Béja, Jendouba, Kef, Siliana and Zaghouan), Centre-West (Kasserine, Kairouan and Sidi Bouzid) and South (Gafsa, Kebili, Tozeur and Médenine). Road users will benefit from the improved state and capacity of classified roads reflected in reduced vehicle operating costs, greater comfort to users and reduced risk of injury and deaths due to traffic accidents. The inhabitants of Thala town will benefit from a bypass that will ease inter-regional road transit traffic and improve the quality of life of the local population as well as road safety. The public works and civil engineering (BTP) industry, which includes road construction, will benefit from the work contracts that will be executed under PMIR. It is estimated that 4120 temporary jobs will be created mainly for youths during works implementation and the project duration.

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