The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank has approved a US $74.47-million loan to finance the first phase of Rwanda's Transport Sector Support Project. The project involves upgrading the Base-Rukomo road along the Base-Gicumbi-Rukomo-Nyagatare axis.

The development objectives of the project are to contribute to socio-economic development, to improve standards of living and regional integration through an improved and sustainable transport system that links centres of economic activity and access to social services. Its comprises four components: (i) upgrading of 51.54 kilometres between Base and Rukomo (including sensitization of local communities on sexually transmitted diseases, environmental protection and road safety); (ii) the construction of multifunctional centres for women and rehabilitation of school facilities along the main road; (iii) institutional support to the project executing agency, and (iv) clearing the right-of-way.

The project will also support the regional integration objective of East African Community (EAC) member countries and Great Lakes Region. The Bank's intervention is consistent with the country's aspiration to improve its transportation services. In addition, the Base-Nyagatare road is a strategic axis offering an alternative route for international flows operated via the northern corridor, especially flows of goods between the western and northern provinces and the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the port of Mombasa, via Uganda.

The project will be implemented during from 2015 to 2019 at a total cost of US $78.99 million and counterpart funding of US $4.52 million from the budget of the Government of Rwanda.