YARMOUK - DEAD SEA ROAD

CHANGES IN ROAD DESIGN NECESSITATED GREATER FINANCIAL ASSIST. AID APPROVED AN ADDITIONAL $1,000,000 LOAN ON 6/9/77 & GOJ INCREASED ITS CONTRIB TO APPROX $1,232,000. A CERTIFICATE OF SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION AS OF 8/15/77 WAS ISSUED TO SHAHIN ENGINEERING & CONTRACTING (A JORDANIAN CO) ON 2/21/78, 13 MOS BEHIND SCHEDULE. SUPERVISORY ENGINEERING CONTRACTOR,DELEUW CATHER,COMPLETED WORK 8/31/77. SEVERAL MAJOR PROBLEMS OCCURRED: THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTOR WAS OFTEN W/OUT PROPER EQUIP & MINIS OF PUBLIC WORKS(MPW) DID NOT PROVIDE SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL ON TIME. GOJ AGENCIES FAILED TO COOPERATE IN REMOVING MINES NEAR THE MAADI BRIDGE,DELAYING ITS CONSTRUC BY 2 YRS. LAGS IN CONSTRUCTION OF THE EAST GHOR CANAL EXTEN CAUSED DELAYS BECAUSE IRRIGATION-PIPE ROAD CROSSINGS WERE TO HAVE BEEN MADE BEFORE CONSTRUC OF THE ROADS. ALSO,INDECISION AS TO MUNICIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES & ALIGNMENT OF THE ROAD THROUGH ADASIYA AND NORTH & SOUTH SHUNEH RESULTED IN LAST MINUTE CHANGES. FROM "73-76 YRLY TRAFFIC INCREASED45% -- FROM 218,981 VEHICHLES (117,913 TRUCKS) IN "73 TO 481, 800 VEHICLES (11,690 TRUCKS) AT THE END OF "76. THERE ARE INDICATIONS THAT THE PROJ IS CONTRIBUTING TO DEVLPMNT OF THE EAST GHOR VALLEY: POP INCREASED FROM 66,000 IN "74 TO AN ESTIMATED 90,000 IN EARLY "78. AGRI EXPORTS TOTALLED JD39.4 MIL IN "74 & ROSE TO JD59.99 FOR THE YR ENDED 7/77. PER CAPITA INCOME OF FARMERS ROSE FROM JD85 IN "74 TO AN ESTIMATED JD120 IN "76. USAID IS ENCOURAGING MPW TO ENFORCE WT LIMITATIONS. HOWEVER,MPS LACKS QUALIFIED PERSONNEL & MUCH TIME IS LOST IN TRAVELING TO THE VALLEY TO MAN THE SCALES. PES RECOMMENDS THAT FUTURE PROJS EMPLOY CONSTRUC SUPERVISION CONTRACTOR SINCE GOJ MINISTRIES & AGENCIES DO NOT HAVE ADEQUATE STAFFING TO PROVIDE SUPERVISION. USAID SHOULD EXERT MORE PRESSURE TO INSURE THAT RIGHTS-OF-WAY ARE MORE QUICKLY SECURED. ALSO IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF GOJ"S CAPACITIES SHOULD BE MADE PRIOR TOISSUANCE OF FUNNDS. PES FURTHER RECOMMENDS THAT,AT THE VERY LEAST, THE DRAFT PROJ PAPER & LOGICAL FRAMEWORK BE EXPLAINEDTO APPROPRIATE GOJ PERSONNEL. IT WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL IF GOJ PERSONNEL PARTICIPATED IN USAID PROJ COMMITTEE DISCUSSIONS