Haiti - Highway Maintenance Project

R E S T R I C T E D Report No. T.o. 77-c This document was prepared for internal use in 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 REPUBLIC OF HAITI HIGHWAY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM April 23, 1956 Department of Technical Operations  CURRENCY UNIT - GOURDE U. S. $1 . Gs. 5 Gs. I a U. S. $0.20 Gs. 1 million a U. S. $200,000  T'IPEUBLIC OF HAITI I-lIGHT B>Y >; r TJTh'A_ T P: -DOGR1_jI T3.2.}I C?i CDT:)IY 'TTS ParagraT3hs Is Untroduction 1-4 II. The Highway System 5-8 III. Organisation and Past Performannce 9-12 IV, Recent J9evelopraents 12-16 V. The I-;eed for ImDrove-d Transportation 17-25 VI. The Proposed Prograrin 26-27 VII.- Cost hstt.isates 28-31 VIII. Sources of Finance 32-33 IX. Conclusions tnd Reco-mmendations 31-38 I. Zxisting Highwav &ysterl of Kiaiti II. Chart of the UltL .ate Organization of the IIaintenance Division ITI. * List of Poads in the Hi Ih'al Naintenance Program TV. liap of 7oacIs in the Hiighway iiaintenance Program V, istir,iated Foreign Currency Cost  RE2PIf.lLIC OF HAITI I * lTi'ODUC.TIOifl 1. At the iTnitation of the Government of Haiti, a Da -k lission visited that country in April 195L to stucly its economic position and to deteraine how the Barlk could best assist Haiti in its economic develon- ment. It concluled '.hat the best opportunities for Dark assistance lay in the fields of agriculture, hi';himys, and electric poiter, the sectors in Twhich development was ,nost urgentl- needed. 2. A second hission visited Haiti during iiovember and D)ecember 195h to examine highwayr projects prepared by thie Oovernmient and to collect in- fornation or projects in other fields which might be considered for future Bank lending. 3. The Coverment submttted to tlhe 1-ission a program.. of hirhway development which proposed the construction of arterial, secondary and feeder roads at a total cost of apnroximately U.5S .':23 million. Thae itassion concluded that the e.Nisting Highway Lbpartment was not capable of carrying out such a large program, and that the necessary financial resources and trained personnel were not available in Haiti. The iiission recommended that no new, roads should be constructed until an adequate road maintenance orCanization had been createdl and trained under the direction of consul- tants. Consultants engaged by the Governi,ent (the Italian firim of Techint) have now carried sut a survey to det,erimtine the organization, personnel, equi-pnent, materials and funds required to establish a suitable Laintenance Division anid road rr.aintenance prog.ra&m. h. The Consultants' proposals are aDpraised below. II. TSflM HI:H, G:7.Y SYSTE 5. A map showing the exi-st-ing highway system of Haiti is shot.-n in ppend1ix I. 6. The development of the system began during the years 1915-1933, when United States' armecd forces tere stationed in Hlaiti. Prior to this period., there w-!as practically no communication between the various parts of the countr-y. The present highway s-tstem is the result of roadl construc- tion during the neriod and of a inuch snaller amount of construction since. T ith one exception, Port-de-Paix in the De'iOartiment of the 11orthwest, all the capitals of the departirients have been connected with Port-au-Prince by all-weather roads via the Port-au-Prince--Cap-Haitien and the Port-au- Prince--Les Cayes Highways.  - 2 - 7, All roads in Haiti are under the jurisdiction of the Highway Department of the Ministry of Public ;Jorks. The roads are divided into tw-io classes--national and departmental,. The national routes (89b !an) are of intersectional iiportance, while the clepartmental routes (2,213 ICn) are of essentially local or regional significance. Only about 50;? of the national higE-hways and 5,, of the departmental highwjays are of all--weather construction. A breakdoun of the classes and types of roads conpr4sing t'he hir htra- system is shjonm in "'able I: T.JU I CIA I TCATIOH7 OF FIGiF-AYS Class Asphalt Flagstone Hacadam Earth Total National 251 22 193 428 394 Departmental 97 _ 7 2109 2213 Total 348 22 200 2537 3107 8. in recent years, efforts have largely been devoted to the re- construction of the Port-au-?rizice--Cap-Hlaitien and the Czp-Haitien-- Dorairiican b.order Highways, due primarily to political and touristic con- siderations. Upor comoletion of thi-e wor% currently under con.tract, t'hie 260 L-m highwvay between Port-au-Prince and Ca--Huitien will have been wholly paved with the excention qf several short intenaediate sectlons ;hose total length is less than 50 ka. The 60 Ikm Cap -Haitier.--Dowi.nican Border (Ouanarminthe) Highway was pared during 193-54b. II'. T09G7 1ZA 07 'IT YS ?-SI" FOL_,R2-TM 9. The existing highway -partment of' Haiti lacks the experience, personrel and equi-oment necessari- for cerr7ying out effectively a program of road rehebilitation, repair and maintenanre. 10Q In -PoverLber 195,4, in an effort to strerngthen t'le ighway Depart- ment, the K -inistry appointed one of t