Timor-Leste: Melhoria das ligações rodoviárias

The Road Climate Resilience Project for Timor-Leste is working to deliver climate resilient road infrastructure to communities between Dili-Ainaro and ensure roads are better protected against natural disasters. Reduced road closures will allow improved access to local and regional markets and towns. Additional Financing for the project will upgrade additional road segments linked to the Dili-Ainaro corridor.
Challenge
Due to geographical conditions, the road link between the south and north of the country is often not accessible, especially during periods of heavy rain when landslides and flooding are common. The Dili – Ainaro road is a vital link connecting Dili, Aileu, and Ainaro, districts where the population is mostly farmers. Managing the risks of erosion and improving drainage remains a challenge. In order to ensure that the roads can withstand rain and flooding, the technicians have conducted several studies along the road to ensure that the best possible road will be built to benefit the Timorese people.
Solution
The proposed World Bank financed project is supporting the core network development program by investing in the key 110 km north-south corridor: Dili-Ainaro. The road connects three districts – Dili, Aileu and Ainaro – which jointly account for 32 percent of country’s population. The improvements are being done in two phases, first focusing on urgent road repairs where it is most severely damaged, the second working on the overall road; bringing in improvements to pavement, drainage and other environmental protection measures. Consultations along the corridor were carried out and confirmed broad community support for the project.
Results

• The first step involved essential emergency works for seven (7) risks location for landslide, erosion and flooding along the road and these were completed in February 2013 and it help the transport movements during the rainy season.
• Additional Financing for the project was approved in October 2013 in the amount of a US$25 million IDA credit and a US$15 million IBRD loan. This allowed the scale up of the project to upgrade the entire 110km road corridor
• Activities commenced on mid-2014 on the whole road upgrade.

*Accessing the market in the capital Dili during the rainy season was a real hardship. Due to bad roads caused by landslides and flooding, people lack basic access. *
Tomas Soares
Local truck driver living in Ainaro