R15 and R65 Roads

Country

Jordan

Name of Client

Ministry of Public Works and Housing (MOPWH)

Financing sources

European Investment Bank

Duration

03/2015 - 05/2016

Project Description

The technical assistance concerns the preparation of final design and tender documents, including a final EIA, for sections of the R15 and R65 roads.

 

Road R15: It is a double carriageway motorway with median. The total width is variable between 34 and 24 m. Road R15 is the most congested road in Jordan, since it connects the capital Amman to the sole harbor of the country, Aqaba. It includes the following sections: Amman Airport-Al Qatrana (55 km); Al Qatrana-Maan (125 km); Maan-Aqaba (Aqaba Back Road junction) (120 km). The total R15 project covers 284 km.

The study envisaged the rehabilitation and strengthening of the carriageway, currently damaged or degraded on very long sections. The study includes the rehabilitation of village crossings through the creation of side paths, pedestrian passages (upper or lower passages), the improvement of road safety (rehabilitation of U-turns, lighting of junctions and at-grade intersections, etc.). It includes also the actualization of the existing feasibility study, including the traffic study.

 

Road R65: total length of 76 km, the latter including two links at the southern end of the route with the R40 Dead Sea road, an easterly connection of 7.1 km (JICA section 10) and a westerly connection of 4.8 km (JICA section 9). The road 65 is one of the most important roads from the agricultural point of view as it runs parallel to the Jordan river along the most fertile area of the whole Jordan. The project includes the study of Dayr Ailla by-pass, in order to avoid an highly populated  area. The by-pass however has an high impact due to the presence of houses and cultivated land to be expropriated. The choice of the alignment it’s thus a very sensitive issue. It includes also a specific feasibility study.

The sections of R65 to be rehabilitated and widened total 55.8 km, and the 4 lane sections to be rehabilitated total 5.2 km. There is also approx. 8 km 2 lane extension to Umm Qays to be rehabilitated. The study includes the Environmental and Social Impact assessment. The study includes environmental and social impact assessment, and the update of the feasibility study of this section realized by the JICA study in 2010.

Services Description

Phase 1: Final Design and Environmental Assessment

Phase 2: Preparation of Tender Documents and Final Reports