BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb.11
By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:
The project to provide safe, efficient and climate resilient transport connectivity and improve market accessibility along the Salyan-Bilasuvar road corridor in Azerbaijan looks at how to ensure the efficient management of road systems, Sarah Michael, World Bank Country Manager for Azerbaijan, said in an exclusive interview with Trend.
“We’re about to celebrate the 30th anniversary of partnership with Azerbaijan this year. Throughout our history, our engagement here, the transport sector has been one that we’ve been really proud to be part of. This latest partnership with the government, something we call regional connectivity and development project, connecting Salyan and Bilasuvar, has some traditional elements of road quality, road safety. It also looks at how to ensure the efficient management of road systems and how to take care and maintain roads. But it also has an innovative component looking at how we look at not only the roads themselves, but potential that the roads give for economic development,” said Sarah Michael.
She noted that the project is looking at creating roadside facilities for local entrepreneurs and to train entrepreneurs to take advantage of the increased volume of traffic that the World Bank expects to see on the road once it is rehabilitated.
“This project was newly introduced last year and has just become what we call effective and is ready to just start work. We have benefit of being in the winter season now. There is a lot of preparatory work going on to finalize the recruitment of the construction companies, supervisors for the road construction. As soon as the weather improves in the summer, it will be possible to do the road works. But there are also experts, who can really help to design and implement the component that is supporting economic development along the road way. I hope that by this summer we can see some of the physical works ongoing and there will be a chance to start seeing local entrepreneurs in that area benefit from some of the new roads and facilities and the trainings that are planned to help them in the long-term. Particularly, there is a significant potential for agricultural producers in the region, as well as crafts producers to take advantage of the potential new customers and new markets that the new road will bring,” added the World Bank’s country manager.
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