PRE-PROJECT APPRAISAL MISSION : LIBERIA-RURAL ROADS III (MARCH 16-APR 76)

AID TEAM CHARGED TO REVIEW CHECCHI FINDINGS BUT ALSO TO MAKE AN INDEPENDENT DETERMINATION OF WHETHER AID PROJECT IS JUSTIFIED. AID TEAM CONCLUDED THAT CHECCHI OFFERED INADEQUATE SUPPORT OF IDENTIFIED IMPACT AREAS AND A SUPERFICIAL ANALYSIS OF CONSTRUCTION COSTS. THE AID TEAM ALSO NOTED CHANGES IN THE STATUS OF THE THREE PROJECT COMPONENTS EXAMINED BY CHECCHI: THE LIBERIAN GOVERNMENT HAD SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETED THE BUCHANAN-RIVER CESS ROUTE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE TIMBO RIVER BRIDGE; UPGRADING OF BREWERVILLE-BOPULU ROAD SEGMENT JUDGED AS NOT MEETING AID'S DEVELOPMENT CRITERIA; THE TEAM THUS FOCUSED ITS ATTENTION ON THE PR0POSED 108-MILE NEW ROUTE FROM BOPULU THROUGH BELLE YELLA TO KONIA,EXAMING THE ROUTE AS A WHOLE,AS WELL AS EACH SEGMENT SEPARATELY, AID ASSISTANCE WITH THE TIMBO RIVER BRIDGE WAS ALSO CONSIDERED BY THE TEAM. AID TEAM REJECTS CONSIDERATION OF TIMBO RIVER BRIDGE DUE TO LACK OF DESIGN WORK AND A SUBSURFACE SOIL INVESTIGATION BY THE LIBERIAN GOVT AND RECOMMENDS ON THE BASIS OF ITS COSTS-BENEFITS ANALYSIS THAT ONLY THE SOUTHERN BOPULU-BELLE YELLA SEGMENT OF THE BOPULU-KONIA ROUTE BE CONSIDERED FOR AID SUPPORT. THIS RECOMMENDATION IS MADE CONTINGENT ON A REDESIGN OF THE ROUTE BY THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS WITH A DOWNGRADING FROM ITS CURRENT PRIMARY STATUS TO A SECONDARY,CLASS B RURAL ROAD. A CONSIDERABLE REDUCTION IN PREVIOUS COST ESTIMATES IS THUS ANTICIPATED. TEAM ADDITIONALLY RECOMMENDS AID GRANT FOR SIMULTANEOUS STUDY/DESIGN OF SECONDARY LINKING ROADS NORTH,WEST AND EAST OF THE PROPOSED BELLE YELLA TERMINUS. ANNEXES INCLUDE IMPACT AREA ANALYSIS,COST-BENEFIT TABLES,MAPS,AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY.