Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Argentina Norte Grande Road Infrastructure (P120198) Operation Name: Norte Grande Road Infrastructure (P120198) Project Stage: Implementation Seq.No: 6 Status: ARCHIVED Archive : 31-Dec-2013 Country: Argentina Approval FY: 2011 Product Line: IBRD/IDA Region: LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN Lending Instrument: Specific Investment Loan Implementing Agency(ies): Key s Board Approval 20-Dec-2010 Original Closing Planned Mid Term Review 15-Aug-2013 Last Archived ISR 14-Jun-2013 Effectiveness 23-Dec-2011 Revised Closing Actual Mid Term Review Project Development Objectives Project Development Objective (from Project Appraisal Document) The development objective of the proposed project is to reduce transport costs for users of provincial roads along selected corridors of the Norte Grande provinces, through the improvement of the quality of those roads and the introduction of improved road asset management tools and methods. Has the Project Development Objective been changed since Board Approval of the Project? Yes No Component(s) losure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Component Name Component Cost Component 1: Rehabilitation, Upgrading and Reconstruction of Provincial Roads 365.00 Component 2: Institutional Development and Project Management 34.00 Overall Ratings Previous Rating Current Rating Progress towards achievement of PDO Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory Overall Implementation Progress (IP) Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory Overall Risk Rating Substantial Substantial Implementation Status Overview The Norte Grande Road Infrastructure Project was approved by the Board on December 20th, 2010 for an amount of US$ 400 million, and loan effectiveness was declared on December 23, 2011. The project is in its second year of implementation. Pipeline: the following sub-projects are under implementation: Contracts under Execution: Page 1 of 7
-Provincial Route (PR) 3 in Chaco: Works started on March 2012. The work is completed with 99% of the contract certificated (by October 2013). This segment is sensitive form a social and environmental point of view. The Bank supported an analytical work to develop a conservation landscape in the Region of Chaco with a Special Focus on Road Infrastructure Works (results are available online). As part of the project's Environmental Plan, the civil works contracts required to the implementation of safe corridors for fauna. It is important to highlight that eight ground and aerial passages for faunas where executed, becoming the first road project in Argentina to include this type of ecological infrastructure. Also, a 4 km cycle path by the side of the road connecting an indigenous bilingual school with the surrounding towns was constructed as per the requests by local residents. Among the identified positive impacts, approximately 235 people were employed directly and an estimated of 390 people considering indirect jobs. Although it has not been measured yet by the DPV, there is a substantial increase in transit; also there is a new bus service connecting the town of Pampa del Indio with Villa Bermejito and other locations, which did not have public transport services before. Finally, another important initiative under this sub-project to highlight is the launching of the "Ruta de la Cultura Qom" initiative, aimed at generating economic opportunities for indigenous women and preserving the cultural heritage of the Qom culture. This is also the result of the communication strategy, IPP and GRM frameworks in place. During the last mission, the team expressed high satisfaction with the performance of these tasks and congratulated the technical team of the Province, the PIU and contractors. -PR 5 in Santiago del Estero: The original implementation period was 24 months, with a completion date of January 15, 2015; as of September 2013, 91.42%.of the works has been certified. The works was done much faster than the time provisions (near half of it) of the Work Plan, and it is scheduled for completion in late November 2013. This time difference, driven by the use of more equipment and labor, represents significant savings in terms of redetermination of prices. -PR 304 Tucuman: The contracts of each of the 3 lots are in place, the works started in July 2013, and each segment is moving forward at a different pace with an execution progress of near 10%. In the first segment, the Implementation Unit, the DPV and Contractor company, raised the need for a modification of the reconstruction technical solution specified under the contract, since the solution proposed in the bidding document was recently executed in another road work in the Province with IDB financing (RP No. 303 ), and the results were not satisfactory. In view of the modification of the project which involves a change in type of work, the Team requested the technical studies, specifications of the new items and an updated economic evaluation with new costs to accept the proposed modification. Also, the team requested teh DPV and the PIU to issue a formal technical approval of the proposed modification. - PR 9, Chaco: Project and bidding documents were reviewed and approved by the Bank. Proposals were evaluated and the evaluation report was approved by the Bank. The RPM gave the No Objection to the PIU decision of awarding the contract to the lowest bid. The contract was signed on October 29th, 2013, and initial works have started. Sub-projects under Review: - PR 18, Santiago del Estero: Procurement process finalized with RPM clearance of no objection letter to Borrower's Bid Evaluation Report and proposal for award of the contract. The No Objection Letter was sent on December 2, 2013. Project Implementation Unit (PIU) is in the process of finalizing documentation to sign the contract. On the Institutional Development component, the PIU presented to the Bank an Institutional strengthening plan to work with the provincial s DPV executing projects. The Province of Chaco has completed the diagnosis of its current status, and a similar process is in progress for the DPVs of Tucuman and Santiago del Estero Provinces. The applied methodology coincides with the model prepared for other projects, and follows the criteria developed for the Program. An external consultant was hired to booster the process. Also, on November 12th, 2013 a note was published asking for expressions of interest for a consulting firm to develop a five years investment plan for road network in Tucuman. A proposal for an Institutional Strengthening Plan is expected to be presented to the Bank before the end of December 2013. The Bank team has expressed its concern to the Borrower regarding delays in the implementation of activities under the Institutional Strengthening component. After an initial delays in launching the procurement process, some progress has been done in the for the joint Impact Evaluation Study for PR No. 3 in Chaco (Pampa del Indio-Villa Rio Bermejito) and the Potable Water project in Pampa del Indio under the Norte Grande Water Project I. During the recent mission, the Bank Team advanced the work on the design of the sample for the study with the Statistics Office in Chaco. The PIU and the Province of Chaco (Ministry of Planning) are finalizing the Cooperation Agreement to be signed for the loan to finance the fieldwork to be coordinated by Chaco for baseline data collection (household surveys, etc). Locations Page 2 of 7
Country First Administrative Division Location Planned Actual Argentina Not Entered Departamento de Concepción Argentina Not Entered Departamento de Santo Tomé Argentina Not Entered Santo Tomé Argentina Not Entered Pampa del Indio Argentina Misiones Provincia de Misiones Argentina Not Entered Partido de Libertador General San Martín Argentina Formosa Provincia de Formosa Argentina Corrientes Provincia de Corrientes Argentina Not Entered Concepción de la Sierra Argentina Not Entered Departamento de Apóstoles Argentina Tucumà n Provincia de Tucumà n Argentina Santiago del Estero Provincia de Santiago del Estero Argentina Salta Salta Argentina Not Entered Los Gutiérrez Argentina Jujuy Provincia de Jujuy Argentina Not Entered Partido de General Güemes Argentina Not Entered Departamento de Cruz Alta Argentina Chaco Provincia del Chaco Argentina Catamarca Provincia de Catamarca Argentina Not Entered Departamento de Burruyacú Argentina Not Entered Villa Río Bermejito Argentina Not Entered Urueña Results Project Development Objective Indicators Page 3 of 7
Indicator Name Core Unit of Measure Baseline Current End Target Evolution of average network roughness on targeted provincial roads Evolution of average network roughness on targeted provincial roads (i) Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Evolution of average network roughness on targeted provincial roads (ii) Upgradings Quality of service measured through user's perception Quality of service measured through user's perception (RP 3 Chaco) reduction in generalized travel in constant US dollars using HDM4 reduction in generalized travel in constant US dollars using HDM4 (i) for light vehicles (with base of US$ 0.28 per veh-km) 5.00 4.40 2.80 17-Nov-2010 (4,52 IRI RP 9*40,96 + 6,5 RP 304 T1*22,37 +4,23 RP304 T2*33,17 +2,2 RP5 *71,8+7,2 RP 18*42,10)/210,40 Km 8.90 4.00 2.60 17-Nov-2010 (1,8 IRI RP 3 S 1*33,35 + 1,9 RP 3 S 2*26,10 + 8,06 IRI RP304 T3*31,36)/90,81 Km Baseline established for RP3 (Chaco). Other provinces that enter project will have baselines established too. target end value is X+20% 11.00 29.00 31.00 31-Jul-2012 30-Sep-2016 Baseline of users expressing satisfaction with the quality of their road network End target originally supposed to be baseline + 20%. 0.00 0.00 21.00 17-Nov-2010 31-Jul-2012 Page 4 of 7
reduction in generalized travel in constant US dollars using HDM4 (ii) for omni-buses (with base of US$ 5.55 per veh-km) reduction in generalized travel in constant US dollars using HDM4 (iii) for heavy vehicles (with base of US$ 1.60 per veh-km) of provinces with multi-annual road maintenance plans and road database management systems in place (cumulative) 0.00 0.00 37.00 17-Nov-2010 31-Jul-2012 0.00 0.00 28.00 17-Nov-2010 31-Jul-2012 0.00 0.00 5.00 17-Nov-2010 31-Jul-2012 There are three provinces working on the institutional strengthening plan that will lead to a multi-annual road maintenance plan. Chaco has completed the diagnosis and Tucuman and Santiago del Estero are in the process of contracting an external consultant to assist on the plan. Intermediate Results Indicators Indicator Name Core Unit of Measure Baseline Current End Target Roads rehabilitated, Non-rural Kilometers 0.00 131.25 495.00 17-Nov-2010 59.45 Km rehabilitated along PR No. 3 in Chaco. Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) on targeted roads Share of rural population with access to an allseason road 71.80 Km already rehabilitated along PR No. 5 in Sgo. del Estero. 815.00 815.00 945.00 17-Nov-2010 31-Jul-2012 Baseline value obtained form RP 94 in Corrientes Province 17-Nov-2010 28-Apr-2013 Page 5 of 7
of rural people with access to an allseason road Share of rural population with access to an all weather road (RP 3 Chaco Province) Annual Performance Reports indicating results achieved by DPVs participating in the institutional development component prepared and publicly disseminated Supplemental Results for the baseline indicator in the province of Chaco (for RP3) have been obtained. Other provinces getting into the project have been informed about the need to collect and validate this indicator. Baseline value has been obtained: PR 3 in Chaco: 20,849 inhab. PR 5 in Sgo. del Estero: 2,873 inhab. PR 304 in Tuc.: 9.057 nhab. End target value Y+10% 29.00 29.00 49.00 31-Jul-2012 Baseline data from Chaco province survey and analysis. 28-Apr-2013 Target from Chaco province survey and analysis Text None Yes Data on Financial Performance (as of 19-Nov-2013) Financial Agreement(s) Key s Project Ln/Cr/Tf Status Approval Signing Effectiveness Original Closing Revised Closing P120198 IBRD-79910 Effective 20-Dec-2010 04-May-2011 23-Dec-2011 Disbursements (in Millions) Project Ln/Cr/Tf Status Currency Original Revised Cancelled Disbursed Undisbursed % Disbursed P120198 IBRD-79910 Effective USD 400.00 400.00 0.00 197.32 202.68 49.00 Disbursement Graph Page 6 of 7
Key Decisions Regarding Implementation The Norte Grande Road Infrastructure Project was approved by the Board on 20th December 2010 for an amount of US$ 400 million. The project was declared effective on December 23, 2011. Two of the sub-projects are almost completed: Provincial Road No. 3 in Chaco (2contracts awarded in December 15, 2011), and Provincial Road No. 5 in Santiago del Estero (contract Awarded in December 2012); and there has been important progress for another two sub-projects: Provincial Road No. 304 in Tucuman (3 contracts awarded in April 2013) and Provincial Road No. 9 in Chaco (2 contracts awarded in October 2013). There is one sub-project that is in the process of signing the contract: Provincial Road No. 18 in Santiago del Estero (the evaluation report and proposal for contract award was reviewed by the RPM and the No objection was issued December 2nd, 2013). The PIU has anticipated that they will send a new sub-project for the Province of Catamarca in the next weeks for Bank review. The project disbursed over US$140 million in CY2013, the largest amount disbursed by an investment loan in the entire Argentina portfolio, with important consequences for net flows in the country, as highlighted with satisfaction by representatives of the Ministry of Economy at the opening and closing meetings of the mission held in November 2013. In its second year of implementation, the project has disbursed 49.33% of the loan amount. Restructuring History There has been no restructuring to date. Related Projects There are no related projects. Page 7 of 7