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- Sichuan Urban Development Project - China
- District Roads Support Programme - Nepal
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- Kidatu Ifakara Road Project - Tanzania
- Arniko Highway Project - Nepal
- Malekhu-Dhading Besi Road Project - Nepal
- Morogoro Roads Sector Project - Tanzania
- Rural Roads, Albania
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Contact:
ITECO Engineering Ltd.
Alte Obfelderstrasse 68
Postfach
CH - 8910 Affoltern a.A.
Tel: +41 (0)44 762 18 18
Fax: +41 (0)44 762 18 15
E-mail: iteco@iteco.ch
Subsidiary Company Nepal
Other Projects in Nepal
Arniko Highway Project, Nepal
The project includes rehabilitation and sustainable road maintenance of the 115 km long Arniko Highway from Kathmandu to the Tibetan border minimising the environmental damage already caused before the start of the project. In most sections the road alignment is situated in fragile mountainous terrain.
The project approach was designed to give particular emphasis to:
- improvement of the technical, organisational and environmental capacities of the Department of Roads;
- support to the local engineering consultants and the contracting industry to increase their capacities in road rehabilitation and their competitivity to provide appropriate quality of services in a growing market;
- rehabilitation and maintenance in difficult mountainous terrain, including pavement, slope stabilisation and river control works; and
- building-up, running and finally privatising the Equipment Maintenance Centre, to ensure proper maintenance and repair of private and public construction equipment and the necessary training of the staff.
The project addressed these objectives through assisting the Department of Roads in undertaking the road rehabilitation works (institution building), and facilitating the construction works at site (private sector support).
More about the Arniko Highway Project
- Laying of Emulson Aggregate Mix (cold mix), with a grader recently procured by the Pavement Contractor of Arniko Highway
The Model-Project of HMG/DoR and SDC; March 1998
Arniko Highway, linking Kathmandu and Kodari, is part of Nepal's strategic road network and connects Tibet, Autonomous Region of China, with Nepal. It was built under Nepal-China cooperation and completed in 1966. In the national context the Arniko Highway has a high political and economic significance. However, since its construction, the road has been frequently damaged by natural events such as floods of Sunkosi and Bhotekosi rivers and landslides. The aftermath of 1987 floods led to various emergency measures, which were not sufficient to conserve the road on a long-term basis.
The importance of the road is highlighted by the fact that it serves the population of Sindhupalchowk, Kavre and Dolkha districts via Lamosangu-Jiri Road, i.e. some 760,000 people. The Highway passes through urban and rural areas. The traffic intensity in the urban areas, notably in the proximity of Kathmandu, is one of the highest in the country and the traffic volume in the rural areas is also high in comparison with other similar roads.
The Arniko Highway Project (AHP)
The Project, co-financed by His Majesty's Government of Nepal and the Government of Switzerland, aims at improving the serviceability of the Arniko Highway by eliminating the ad hoc remedial measures adopted during the pre-1987 years. In addition to the rehabilitation and maintenance works, the enhancement of Department of Roads' role in engaging the local private construction industry in executing the works and the support to local Consultants and Contractors so that they become competitive with international companies, are the main objectives of the Project. Further, the training to DoR personnel to act as a client and to handle the international contracts along FIDIC guidelines, and transfer of technical and managerial know-how to the local construction industry is expected to contribute to long-term institutional development.
Phases / Financial Commitment of AHP
After extensive preparation, Phase I of the Project started in October 1992 and included the rehabilitation of the road sector from Dhulikhel (km 30) to Dolalghat (km 57). Phase I ended in December 1995.
Total cost of Phase I amounted to US$ 7.57 million including the cost for Technical Assistance. SDC's contribution was US$ 6.43 million while HMG's contribution amounted to US$1.14 million.
The ongoing Phase II started on January 1st 1996 and is concentrated mainly on the road sector rehabilitation from Dolalaghat (km 57) to Barhabise (km 88). Based on the lessons learned during Phase I, the objectives for Phase II have been slightly revised and the organization has been streamlined.
Phase 11 involves a total budget of US$ 9.71 million and will end in December 1998. Out of the total budget, the contribution of SDC will be US$ 8.10 million including the cost for Technical Assistance. HMG's contribution for Phase 11 works amounts to US$ 1.61 million. In a planning workshop, participated by representives of HMG, the Donor and key project personnel, it has been decided to continue with the Project for one more Phase which is planned to start in January 1999.
Project Organisation of the Arniko Highway Project
The Project is guided by the Steering Committee with representatives of HMG and SDC and the private sector, namely Contractors Association of Nepal (CAN) and Society of Consulting Architectural and Engineering Firms (SCAEF).
Management of the Project is done by three executive managers (PM, CTA, EMC) who are each responsible for a specific field of the planned activities as follows:
The Project Manager (PM) is responsible for all rehabilitation, pre-rehabilitation maintenance activities, and the emergency works. The Project Manager also coordinates the execution of the routine and recurrent maintenance in all sectors.
Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) is responsible for the activities in the field of private sector promotion. The CTA also advises the PM in rehabilitation and maintenance matters.
The EMC Manager is responsible for all activities of the Equipment Maintenance Centre (EMC). The Equipment Maintenance Centre provides the necessary service, maintenance and repair works on the equipment employed in Arniko Highway (Contractors and Project equipment). The EMC shall be brought under private ownership and management latest by the end of the Project.
ITECO Engineering Limited, a Swiss consulting company, is the executing agency on behalf of SDC and is responsible for providing the Technical Assistance to the Project.
- Construction of the Awale Khola Bridge executed by the Off Road Contractor of Arniko Highway
Why / How the Project Evolved
Since the early sixties, the Government of Switzerland has been assisting Nepal in the transport sector through its involvement in the construction of pedestrian suspension bridges. The Swiss involvement in the road subsector began with the start of the Lamosangu - Jiri Road Project (LJRP) in the early seventies.
Experience since then has shown that technical, managerial, financial and institutional problems that are inherentto Nepal's road maintenance management can not be solved within an individual project. In 1987, Nepal and Switzerland, therefore, agreed to embark upon a subsectoral programme package dealing with road maintenance at different levels.
The Arniko Highway Project aims at improving the serviceability of Arniko Highway, taking into consideration the existing natural risks and by mobilizing adequate local inputs and capabilities.
Achievements
- Construction of a new steel bridge with concrete slab for the Samari Project executed by EMC
Rehabilitation and Maintenance
The AHP Phase I works are concluded. AHP Phase I is said to be one of the first Projects in Nepal completed on time and within the estimated cost and the required work quality. However, the severe monsoon of 1996 disclosed some deficiencies at a few locations. Following this, the Project recommended to the Steering Committee to initiate necessary remedial measures. During monsoon of 1996 more than 60 landslides and landslips occurred in sector 2, and two of them at km 50.500 and at km 53.800 are of serious nature. All additional and corrective works are to be completed by the end ofMarch 1998. For the detail design and the construction supervision of the Phase II rehabilitation works Joint Ventures of local Consultlants were pre-qualified according to FlDIC guidelines and the contracts were awarded to local Consultants onMarch 1995.
The construction works of AHP Phase II started in June 1996 and are still in progress. The contracts have been awarded to local Contractors. Progress and quality of the ongoing works are satisfactory and the overall Project cost is within the allocated budget. The various photographs show the ongoing works from Dolalghat to Barhabise and the Samari Bridge erection by EMC in Hetauda.
- Repair work on Crusher Plant, executed by Equipment Maintenance Centre (EMC)
Private Sector Promotion
The Project has achieved a positive and significant boost in the development of Nepal's construction industry. Besides the Consultants and Contractors directly involved in the Project, others in the private sector also have benefited from it. One of the most important results is the fact that the private construction industry has gained the confidence that major works can be effectively carried out by national companies.
The Equipment Maintenance Centre (EMC), a Project Unit, was established in Phase I in order to ensure a good functioning and quality maintenance of the Project’s and Contractors' equipment. The EMC has proved to be vital for the Project. The EMC shows promising prospects to enter the private market by providing quality services. As part of the "Private Sector Promotion" EMC will be privatized. Besides on-the-job trainings, the Project also organized and conducted seminars on FIDIC rules and regulations. Management training by ODC to Contractors, Consultants and DoR staff, site visits by students from the university, Introduction to ISO 9000 such as Check-engineering, etc.