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Easing congestion in Antananarivo and facilitating trade

Project

Sustainable Cities

This project is carried out with the support of the European Union

Project start date
Status

Ongoing

Project end date
Project duration
4 years
AFD financing amount
24000000 €
Country and region
Madagascar
Location
Antananarivo
Type of financing
Sovereign loan
Beneficiaries
Ministry in charge of Presidential Projects Spatial Planning and Equipment (M2PATE), Madagascar Road Authority, AGETIPA
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The content of this project information sheet falls under the sole responsibility of the AFD and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the European Union.

Due to a lack of adequate road infrastructure, the city of Antananarivo suffers from heavy traffic, which slows down both its economic development and that of the country. This project, which plans to extend the current urban bypass, will contribute to easing congestion on the city’s roads. This will facilitate access to the capital and improve mobility for users and economic operators.

Context

Travel conditions are extremely difficult in and around Antananarivo, the economic and political capital of Madagascar. This hinders the economic development of both the city and entire country, but also the daily lives of the 2.6 million inhabitants of the urban community. In the 2000s, various urban planning projects were launched and priority was given to a bypass project linking up national roads and designed to divert interurban traffic around the city. Several sections were created between 2003 and 2006.

In 2005, AFD financed the construction of part of the bypass under the Masay Wetland Development Project. However, the existing sections are no longer sufficient to meet users’ needs. The urban area in the east of the city is highly congested. A number of heavy goods vehicles travel on it to go to the capital or other regions and their passage damages the road surface. This traffic is constantly increasing. It is necessary to extend the current bypass in order to easy city center congestion.

Description

AFD is supporting the Ministry in charge of Presidential Projects, Spatial Planning and Equipment (M2PATE) for the implementation of the project to extend the Antananarivo urban bypass in the east and northeast. The project aims to:

  • Extend the urban bypass in the east and northeast by building a dual carriageway: this will not only improve access inside the city, by relieving congestion on other roads, but also strengthen its external access by improving the traffic flow towards the country’s other provinces and economic areas, such as the Port of Tamatave, to the east of Madagascar;
  • Prepare a controlled urban development program along the future bypass, in particular to prevent floods, but also to protect pedestrians.

This project, with a total cost of EUR 62m, is being supported by AFD with EUR 24m and with EUR 28m by the European Investment Bank (EIB). The European Union is financing the project management under the Africa Investment Facility. The Government of Madagascar is financing the compensation to populations.

Impacts

  • Congestion eased in Greater Antananarivo;
  • Improvement in mobility for users and economic operators inside and around the city;
  • Acceleration of the economic development of the city and country;
  • Strengthening of public actors in the transport sector.