Highways Management Project-information

Public Disclosure Authorized

PROJECT INFORMATION DOCUMENT (PID)

CONCEPT STAGE

Project Name Region Sector Project ID Borrower(s)

Implementing Agency

Report No.: AB4818

Thailand: Additional Financing - Highways Management Project EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC Roads and highways (100%) P112918

THE ROYAL GOVERNMENT OF THAILAND Department of Highways Sri-Ayutthaya Road Bangkok 10400 Thailand

Tel: (66-2) 354-6800 Fax: (66-2) 354-6527

[]A[X] B [ ] C [ ] FI [ ] TBD (to be determined) June 30, 2009 July 24, 2009 March 18, 2010

Environment Category Date PID Prepared Estimated Date of

Appraisal Authorization Estimated Date of Board Approval

Public Disclosure Authorized

i. Key development issues and rationale for Bank involvement

Road transport plays a significant role in Thailand’s economy. The Royal Thai Government (RTG), through the Department of Highways (DOH) under the Ministry of Transport, has been preserving national highway assets, clearing bottlenecks, improving road safety, and modernizing the DOH management. The World Bank has been supporting the effort through an IBRD Loan to finance the Highways Management Project (HMP). The Loan for the HMP was approved on December 9, 2003, and became effective on March 15, 2004.

The DOH currently has a 4-Lane Highway Widening Program, under which the priority national highway sections will be widened to accommodate the growing traffic and prevent road accidents. This program is an integral part of the RTG’s effort to improve the national competitiveness through reduction of transport and logistics costs. The HMP includes a Highway Upgrading and Intersection Improvement component which finances the 4-lanning civil works under the First Phase of the 4-Lane Highway Widening Program. Recently, the RTG is seeking external financing from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the Second Phase of the 4-Lane Highway Widening Program. Moreover, in order to develop the priority intercity motorways through a public-private partnership (PPP) financing modality, the RTG requests the Bank to finance a PPP transaction advisory consultancy for the proposed Bang Pa-in to Nakhon Rachasima Motorway.

The objective of the Second Phase and the intercity motorway development is consistent with the objective of the HMP, which is to support the RTG in enhancing the efficiency and productive use of the national highway network. The Bank could continue the financial support through

Additional Financing to the HMP to scale up the relevant project activities to meet the need for national highway network improvement.

In recent years, the Bank’s relationship with Thailand has evolved from lender-borrower relationship to a development partnership with a focus on knowledge sharing. Meanwhile, implementation support to critical investment through IBRD financing remains an important modality of Bank engagement. The Additional Financing will provide continued implementation support to the transport sector, which is crucial to the national competitiveness agenda.

ii. Proposed objective(s)

With additional financing, the development objective of the HMP will remain unchanged, namely, to assist the Borrower in enhancing the efficiency, productive use, and management of the road network, through: (a) the commercialization of the road sector by introducing better business principles and increased private sector participation in the construction and maintenance of roads; (b) the strengthening of institutional capacity and modernization of the DOH; (c) sustainable road maintenance programs to preserve road assets; and (d) the enhancement of road safety aimed to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries.

iii. Preliminary description

The on-going HMP has four components and 14 sub-components, as follows: A. Highway Maintenance: (1) periodic maintenance of about 700 km of priority national highways; (2) a 5-year pilot program of highway performance-based maintenance of about 900 km of national highways; (3) supervision of periodic maintenance and road safety improvements; and (4) the study, design, and supervision of performance-based maintenance. B. Highway Upgrading and Intersection Improvement: (1) widening three selected sections (73 km total) of highway network from two to four lanes; (2) construction of three overpasses at critical intersections; and (3) supervision of the widening and overpass civil works. C. Road Safety Improvement: (1) improvement of conditions of hazardous locations; and (2) support for implementation of the road safety action plan in collaboration with the Global Road Safety Partnership and the establishment and operation of a roads accidents research center.

D. Institutional Strengthening: (1) Institutional strengthening of the DOH through (a) development of a centralized road database, road asset maintenance and management system, and a bridge management system; (b) development of a framework for and a case study on public-private partnerships (PPP) in highways; (c) strengthening capacity in project coordination; (d) introduction of a highway specific e-procurement system; and (2) external audit.

During the project implementation, there were allegations of improper influence to the procurement processes of two consultancies. These were investigated by the Bank’s Department of Institutional Integrity which substantiated the allegation in one of the procurements. Given the high risk environment and at the request of the Bank, the DOH cancelled the procurement

processes, and collaborated with the Bank in a procurement capacity assessment. Based on the assessment, a set of measures to address the procurement risks were identified for implementation under the Additional Financing.

The HMP is currently being restructured. The restructuring will include cancelation of delayed …… 此处隐藏：5803字，全部文档内容请下载后查看。喜欢就下载吧 ……