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Description |
ADB and the Government of Bhutan are working together to bring safer roads and more opportunities to the southern part of the country. The South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Road Connectivity Project will build 68.3 km of the vital Southern East West Highway between the towns of Dewathang and Nganglam, which is one of the main crossing points between Bhutan and India. The new stretch of road will improve the connection between Bhutan''s main north south highways and India''s national highway network. As a result, travel time between Nganglam and Dewathang is being reduced by 80% from 12 hours to just a few hours. The project is also building a 1.2 km access road between Bhutan''s border with India and the Pasakha industrial estate, reducing travel time by 90 percent from nearly two hours to about 10 minutes. Border crossing stations in Phuentsholing City the town of Alay will also be improved, and a 2.7 km access road to the national highway will be built. The new roads and facilities will help develop the capacity of the country's engineers and government officials to build modern transport infrastructure. The project is designed to make Bhutan more competitive in terms of international trade and spread the benefits of cross-border commerce with its regional neighbors to people across the country, including the poorest and most disadvantaged. |
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Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy |
In landlocked Bhutan, high-quality roads are one of the most effective ways of improving people''s lives. The about 720,000 people in the country are dispersed among beautiful and often rugged and remote mountains. Small roads that link to the country''s two major highways are vital for people in remote areas to reach clinics, schools and other government services. The major highways increase Bhutan''s trade with its economically vibrant neighbors and also benefit the entire South Asia region as they allow goods and services to flow through the country. Completing and improving the Southern East-West Highway, a route that could provide a quicker and safer passage across the country, is particularly important for improving national and international trade, and helping people in Bhutan become more prosperous. Improving Bhutan''s road system, and border trade facilities, is an effective way of improving the lives of the poorest people in the country while at the same time benefiting the overall economy and that of the region as a whole. |
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Impact |
Cross-border movement of goods between Bhutan and its neighboring countries improved. |
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