Projects: Highways and rural accessibility

Road Sector Reform in Nigeria, 2026

The World Bank’s Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) (including funding from L’Agence Française de Dévelopement) is establishing Rural Access Road Authorities and Road Funds for all 36 States in Nigeria and one for the federal government. The objective is to establish a long-term sustainable funding source and institutional capacity to develop, maintain and manage climate-resilient roads that connect agricultural production to markets, processing/storage and to improve food security.

To support this process, DTS conducted extensive stakeholder interviews, confirmed the state road network and their maintenance needs, created the institutional development plans, developed the funding mechanisms, conducted economic and financial due diligence, supported the drafting of legal bills. DTS also provided support and guidance during the implementation and establishment of the Road Authorities. The Road Fund mechanism includes a hypothecated tax related to agricultural production.

Kyrgyz Republic Kara Balta to Chaldovar Road, 2026

EBRD is funding the reconstruction of the 32km Kara-Balta to Chaldovar road, a critical component of CAREC Corridor 1 and 3 connecting Kyrgyz Republic to Kazakhstan, supporting regional connectivity and trade. The route requires upgrading to a dual two-lane configuration to accommodate traffic growth and improve safety.

DTS provided technical assessment, demand forecasting, economic and financial analysis. Economic appraisal utilized procedures, and an HDM-4 model, and consistent with EBRD’s appraisal guidelines and EBRD’s Green Economic Transition (GET) analysis. The demand forecast included an assessment of the vehicle fleet considering trends in emissions and road safety. GHG and local air pollutants were modelled. Future scenarios were developed for the uptake of EVs. The appraisal considered climate change impacts and climate resilient design/management. Demand forecasts responded to alternative socio-economic scenarios.

Road Asset Management in Kyrgyz Republic, 2025

As part of the ADB-financed CAREC Corridors 1 and 3, The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) in Kyrgyzstan is implementing a Road Asset Management System (RAMS) that is fit for purpose, affordable and sustainable. Phase I of the project developed the RAMS software tool to provide a transparent approach to allocating budgets for road maintenance, rehabilitation and improvement. Phase II focuses on implementing, institutionalizing and automating the application of RAMS, such that it forms the basis for planning and budgeting for the road network in the Kyrgyz Republic.

DTS supported Phase II by developing and calibrating the HDM-4 model and overseeing its integration into the RAMS infrastructure. A key consideration was climate and hazard resilience related to the highly mountainous terrain. DTS also conducted program and strategy analysis to update the funding needs for the road network and advised on how to embed the use of RAMS within the institutional framework.

Trans-Gambia Bridge Monitoring & Evaluation, 2025

DTS conducted the economic and social impact evaluation of the Trans-Gambia Bridge (also known as the Senegambia Bridge), which opened in 2019 funded by the African Development Bank. The bridge replaces a ferry crossing and forms the lowest crossing of the River Gambia. It presents a key element of a long-distance transport corridor that links Senegal, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. The scientific approach combined analysis of “before-after” (longitudinal data) with a counterfactual. Therefore, surveys were conducted in the baseline (2014) and post-intervention (2025) at the project site and at two control sites.

Surveys included traffic volume, occupancy/load, travel time, household interviews, vehicle operating cost and focus groups. The evaluation identified the increase in economic exchanges in the transport corridor, growth in passenger travel, travel time and vehicle cost savings, safety improvements, improvement in local accessibility for education and healthcare, change in marketing opportunities especially for women, and the impact on household incomes and welfare. Modern data collection tools were deployed including smart survey apps using android tablets and smart phones.

Zambia Farm to Market Compact, 2024

The $491 million Farm-to-Market Compact delivers sustainable and inclusive agricultural economic growth to help position Zambia as food secure and a regional supplier of agricultural goods. The “Roads and Borders for Agriculture and Agro-Processing Project (RBAAP)” improves 210 miles of rural road and transportation infrastructure, increasing market access for rural communities, particularly women and youth, while strengthening national road asset management.

DTS was responsible for all economic and financial due diligence activities of the project, including HDM4 model calibration and development, preparing economic appraisal reports for all road interventions, reviewing and improving the design of interventions, design of project feasibility TORs, developing and conducting a suitable prioritization.

Moldova Roads Rehabilitation V: Chisinau, 2024

As part of a feasibility study, DTS conducted the economic and financial appraisal for the upgrade of the Chisinau Ring Road (M2) and the Chisinau to Leuseni highway (M1). Funded by EBRD, these are TEN-T projects that are strategically critical for Moldova and respond to the European Union’s Economic and Investment Plan for Neighborhood East, and the Eastern Partnership priorities to strengthen core international transport links.

DTS provided technical assessment, demand forecasting, economic and financial analysis. Economic appraisal utilized procedures, and a HDM-4 model, and consistent with EBRD’s appraisal guidelines and EBRD’s Green Economic Transition (GET) analysis. The demand forecast included an assessment of the vehicle fleet considering trends in emissions and road safety. GHG and local air pollutants were modelled. Future scenarios were developed for the uptake of EVs. The appraisal considered climate change impacts and climate resilient design/management. Demand forecasts responded to alternative socio-economic scenarios.

Malawi Transport and Land Connectivity Compact, 2023

MCC and the Government of Malawi identified the country’s key constraints to economic growth, which resulted in developing this $350 million Compact to address the high price of road freight transport and to improve access to land for investment. The aim of this Compact includes the development of an Accelerated Growth Corridor Project (AGCP) to unlock agricultural potential by improving the entire farm to market transport value chain thereby reducing poverty and improving the lives of rural Malawians.

Improving Rural Access in Tanzania, Program Evaluation, 2019

DFID’s Improving Rural Access in Tanzania (IRAT) was a 5-year programme (2013 to 2019) valued at £35m which was designed to increase household incomes through the targeted removal of road bottlenecks that undermine rural access. Capacity-building support was provided including the development of the District Road Management System (DROMAS).

DTS assessed the engineering fit for the IRAT road investments, assessed value for money, investigated IRAT road prioritization procedures, analysed ex-ante cost benefit analysis and estimated ex-post cost benefit analysis. As well as assessing the fit for purpose of the new Road Asset Management System. Finally DTS formulated lessons learnt and advice to successor programmes such as RISE.