Ruanda, Urundi - Usumbura - Kigali Highway and Port of Usumbura Projects

R-ZURN TO ~~~~~~~R E S T R I C T E D R'".-URN TO RSRCE REPORTS DESK R e p o r t N o. TO-133a WITHIN ONE WEEK This report was prepared for use within the Bank. In making it available to others, the Bank assumes no responsibility to them for the accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein. INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT RUANDA - URUNDI REPORT ON THE USUMBURA-KIGALI HIGHWAY PROJECT June 17, 1957 Department of Technical Operations FILE COpy  CONVERSION RATES FOR BELGIAN AND BELGIAN CONGO/RUANDA - URUNDI CURRENCY I Belgian franc 1 Congo franc U.S. $1 50 francs 1 franc - 2 U.S. cents 1,000,000 francs = U.S. $20,000  RULTDA-URI'DI REEPORT CFT THE USUNIBURA-KIGALI h I A7 ir JC r TABLE OF CUOTENTS Page I. IETRODUCTION .................................. . 1 II. ROAD Ar,.'ji A7JD . ;Th" A'If-1ON ...................1 III.THE WEED FOP THE PROJECT ......................... . 1 IV. T-E PROJECT .................................... 2 a. Surveying and Design ........................... 2 b. Cost Zstimates ................................ 3 c. Financing . ............................... 3 d. Execution . ............................... 3 V. ECONOiMIC JUSTIFICATION ............................ 4 VI. COEiCLUSIONS AB\jD B2C00I4ThjATIO0S ...... ............. 4 AV'NEX A. Approximate estimate of the order of return for construction. TABLE 1. Actual approximate operating cost for standard trucks on existing roads. TABLE 2. Estimate of awproximate operating cost for standard trucks assuming asphalt roads built to modern standards. VAP.   RUANDA-UR-S$DI REPORT ON THE USUMBURA-KIGALI HIGF,WAY PROJECT I. INTRODUCTION 1. This report is an appraisal of a project for the construction of a 40 km new highway from the city of Usunbura to the central plateau in Ruanda-Urundi, replacing 53 km of the southernmost section of the north-south highway between Usumbura and Kigali (See Map). The report is the basis of a proposed loan for about $2.7 million to the Trust Territory of Ruanda-Urundi, covering the estimated. cost of materials, equipment and services originating outside Ruanda-Urandi and required to carry out the project. 2. Most of the information contained in the report was obtained in the field by the Bank mission visiting Ruanda-Urundi in October 1956 and additional information has been submitted subsequently by the Admin- istration in Ruanda-Urundi and the Ministry of Colonies in Brussels. 3. No engineering investigations have been undertaken in the field. Practically all engineers employed in the Ruanda-Urundi civil service have a proven record of service within the Colonial Administration where the standards are much the same as those of the Public Works Administration in Belgium which are good. II. ROAD NETJORK AND ADMINISTRATION 4. Compared to many other underdeveloped countries, Ruanda-Urundi has an extensive network of roads which are as a rule reasonably well maintained. With a few exceptions thiey are built to stardards wqhich are adequate for the relatively light traffic passing over them. 5. Primary and secondary roads are maintained by the Road Division of the Ruanda-Urundi Public Works Service and the territorial administra- tors, and all lesser roads by the local African authorities. The Road Division of the Public Works Service is in charge of all road construction and improvements, provided these are financed by the ordinary budget. Road construction and improvement financed by the extraordinary budget are administered by a serarate Road Division in the Ten-Year Plan Office in Usumbura. Administratively both Road Divisions are directly res- ponsible to the Vice-Governor General in Usumbura. In order to secure uniform road standards throughout the Congo and Ruanda-Urundi, they are also responsible to the Governor General in Leopold.vlle with regard to technical matters. III. THE IE]D FOR THE PR2OJECT 6. The proposed project aims at the improvement of the most heavily travelled section of the Usumbura-Kigali road which forms the backbone of the road network in Ruanda-Urundi. This road runs about 320 km north-south through some of the most densely 'opulated and intensively  - 2 - cultivated regions of the country. It also connects the important mining areas in the north with Usumbura, the country's main -oort and capital city. Many feeder roads radiate from it into the surrounding areas, and its central section also joins with t>e recently improved road connection from Astrida through Shangugu to Bukavu in the Eastern Congo, 7. Most of the coffee, tin concentrates and other exports move by truck down the Usumbura-Kigali road for shi-lment abroad through the Port of Usumbura. On their return journey the same trucks carry a large part of the country's imports, including equipment and materials for the mines, and consumer goods for the native population. The road also accommodates a substantial movement of local produce, and travel by the local popula- tion is increasing rapidly. 8. Over the first 53 km from Usumbura the existing road climbs some 1,500 meters (4,500 feet) from the shores of Lake Tanganyika to cross the Congo-Nile watershed and reach the high plateau which covers the greater part of the country and accommodates the bulk of its population. While the road on the plateau is reasonably adequate for the comparatively light traffic on it, the ascent from Usumbura, which carries the heaviest traffic loads, is very poor. On this section grades are steep and curves sharp, the surface is rough and the road narrow, and often dangerous. Vehicles passing this section therefore suffer heavy wear and tear, and are exposed to considerable risk of accident. It is this section which it is considered necessary to replace by the construction of 40 km of new road over more favorable terrain. The new road will be about 13 km or about 25% shorter than the existing road. IV. THE PROJECT a. Surveying anl Design 9. The surveying of the proposed road has been done by Centrorga, an association of Belgian consulting engineers which has a proven record for similar works in Central Africa. The road division of the Ruanda- Urundi Ten-Year Plan Office directed the surveying. A soil mechanics study has been made by Orindus Congo, another consalting engineering firm working in the area. Soil tests have been made in Usumbura by the soil laboratory of the Ruanda-Urundi Public Works Service. 10. The standards of the proposed new road, which will be the same as those used in the Congo for similar type roads, are adequate. The width of the road including 3 meter shoulders will be 9 meters, and the width of the pavement 6 meters. In cases where the application of these minimum starndards would be disproportionate to the overall cost of the road, the width of the pavement may be reduced to 5.50 meters, and the width of the embankment to 8.50 meters. The maximum grade will be 7$ and the minimum radius of curves 100 meters - to be reduced to a minimum of 40 meters in mountainous terrain. The tender documents leave room for contractors to propose various types of light asphaltic pavement.  - 3- b. Cost Estimates 11. All works will be carried out on the basis of unit prices, and a detailed cost estimate has been woiked out for the different phases of construction. The cost of the project is expected to be about $2.9 million. Including l5'o contingencies, the total LitimAted cost of the ;ro'jet Vi11 be about $3.4 mtllion. 12. The estimated average cost per km excluding contingencies, about $70,000 equivalent, may appear rather high. However, except for the first eight km through the plains north of Usumbura, the road will run through difficult, mountainous terrain requiring substantial cuts and fill, and also extensive construction of retaining walls over some sections. Generally, the estimates are based on recent experience for similar works in the Congo. c. Financing 13. The Bank would pay for the equipment, materials and services originating outside Ruanda-Urundi, whereas the Ruanda-Urundi Administra- tion would finance the local cost of the uroject. There is no exact way of assessing the two different categories of cost. However, the successful bidder will come from the Congo or from abroad, and the local cost will therefore be largely for unskilled labour recruited locally. External cost will be for items brought into Ruanda-Urundi, such as fuels, spare parts, iron and steel, depreciation of construction equipment, salaries of equipment operators, other skilled labour, foremen, technicians, and construction engineers. 14. On the basis of pjrevious experience for similar road construction in the Congo, the Ruanda-Urundi Public W7orks Service estimates that about 15, - 20%o of the total cost will be for unskilled labour, which seems reasonable. If the higher figure is taken, the Bank would pay about $2.7 million equivalent of the estimated cost including contingencies and the Ruanda-Urundi Administration about $0.7 million equivalent. The project has been included in the extraordinary budget for the Ten-Year Plan, and it can be assumed that the Ruanda-Urundi Administration can raise the necessary funds. d. Execution 15. The contract for the construction of the road will be subject to international competitive bidding. Bids will be invited simultaneously by the llinistry of Colonies in Brussels and by the Government General in Leo.poldville. All bids will be examined by the "Conseil des Adjudications" in Leopoldville and the Ministry of Colonies in Brussels which are jointly responsible for the final award of the contract. 16. Draft tender documents have been completed by the Road Division of the Ten-Year Plan Office in Usumbura, and have been az-p)roved by the Public Works Department in Leopoldville. It is ex,ected that the contract wvill be awarded in October this year, and that construction will commence in January 1958 with completion about two and a half years hence.  17. The Road Division of the Ten-Year Plan Office will be in charge of the day-to-day supervision of the construction. The present staff of this office com-orises only one chief engineer, two tonographers and ont draftsman. As andc when required., therefore, it will be strengthened with specialized personnel from the Road Division of the Ruanda-Jrundi Public WA'orks Service, which will be responsible for the overall super- vision. V. ECOITOMIC JUSTIFICATION 18. With a view to estimating the approximate rate of return on the investment in the proposed road, the mission analyzed the present average operating cost for standard vehicles on existing roads in Ruanda-Urundi, and corixared them with probable o:oerating costs on hard-surfaced roads built to modern standards. This anal-sis showed that operating costs on modern asphalt roads would probably be reduced by roughly one-third (Tables 1 and 2). 19. Statistics on traffic counts undertaken during different seasons of the year are available, and show that a daily average of about 110 vehicles are now passing the road section to be replaced. Wnen the proDosed road has been completed, it may be expected that traffic will have increased to at least 140 vehicles per day (Annex A). On this basis, the total annual savings resulting from both the reduction in distance and in operating cost oer km would probably correspond to about 10O of the total estimated- cost of the new road (Annex A, page ii). In fact, they are probably greater since the assumptions are conservative. Wear and tear on vehicles going up and down the existing road is no doubt far higher than the average wear and tear in Ruanda-Urundi. More- over, traffic to and from Kitega, which is the center of the important coffee producing region east of Usumbura, will most likely be rerouted over Muramvya and the new road instead of taking the present southern route (See Map). In that case, traffic over the new road. mighlt well be close to 200 vehicles per day after its completion. Wlhen to this is added that the proposed new road will elim.inate the present dangers to traffic, its construction seems justified. VI. CULTOLUSIONS A03D P!iCCMfviM]NDATIONS 20. The Usumbura-Kigali highway is the main artery in the road net- 1.iork of Ruanda-Urundi. The proposed project will help to improve traffic conditions on this highway substantially, and also promises to yield a reasonable return on the investment in the form of reduced transport cost, 21. Technical information submitted to the Bank indicates that the project has beern adequately engineered and is technically sound. 22. A Bank loan of Q2.7 million representing the estimated cost of equipment, services and materials originating outside Ruanda-Urundi can be considered. In view of the type of project, a term of about twenty years including a three-year grace period, appears suitable. The Borrower would be the Trust Territory of Ruanda-Urundi, and the loan would be guaranteed by the Kingdom of Belgium.  - i - AHNEX A Approximate estimate of the return for construction of the first 40 km. from Usumbura towards Astrida- Kigali Recent traffic counts taken during different seasons of the year show that there is a daily average of about 110 vehicles passing the full length of this stretch at present, and the division between "theavyy" and "light" vehicles is about half and half. "Light'? vehicles, as defined in the traffic counts, include passenger cars, pick-ups and trucks up to 1] tons capacity, whereas "heavy" vehicles include trucks from 1- tons capacity and upwards. Any forecast of the probable future traffic on this section is necessarily uncertain, the more so since no statistics are available to show actual trends over previous years, or the detailed composition of present traffic. However, general information made available to the mission indicates that the traffic density has been increasing at a fairly rapid pace, and also that a great Dart of the traffic consists of exports and imports shipped through the port of Usumbura. A feasible assumptio