The World Bank’s Board of Directors recently approved a US$38 million investment loan to help the Government of Jordan develop efficient transport and logistics services by removing transport bottlenecks and provide access to affordable land for investment and urban development purposes.
In recent years, the Amman Metropolitan Area (AMA), which includes Amman, Zarqa, Ruseifa and surrounding areas, has saturated areas designated for development. The AMA accounts for more than 50 percent of Jordan’s population, contains about 80 percent of the country’s industrial sector and provides jobs for more than half of the country’s population. As a result of increasing levels of urbanization, economic growth and steadily rising numbers of vehicles on its roads, congestion is becoming a serious issue in the AMA.
The Amman Development Corridor Project supports the government’s plans to build a critically needed link in the AMA’s urban highway network and logistics platform to support the movement of transit traffic, and provide access to affordable land for productive investment. The Project is also in line with the World Bank’s country assistance strategy for Jordan, which places emphasis on enhancing conditions for private sector-led growth.
The proposed project will construct Phase 1 of the Amman Ring Road (about 40 kilometers) that will improve access to airport and other key locations and permit freight traffic to bypass congested urban areas. It will also open up about 300 square kilometers of affordable land for future expansion and growth. The project will additionally provide basic infrastructure for an inland port and relocate the Amman Customs house to improve transport and logistics, and support the Government’s ongoing reforms to restructure the trucking industry. (menareport.com)
© 2004 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
