New roads to facilitate mobility in Yunnan

Yunnan Province is located in a mainly mountainous region and remains one of the least developed provinces in China. In the early 2000s, the GDP per capita of Baoshan Prefecture, where the project is located, was 43% of the national average.

In 2003, road transport was the main means of transport in the province, but the network was in very poor condition. In total, only 12% of all roads were paved.

The road and highway construction project, co-funded with Asian Development Bank, enabled the following:

• construction of a 77 km-long two-lane toll highway between Baoshan and Longling, which was the missing section of the link between Kunming, the capital of the province, and the border with Burma. Four interchanges, 14.5 km of access roads, toll booths and tunnels were also built;
• 294 km of secondary roads were rehabilitated in the counties of Longyang and Longling;
• provision of maintenance equipment for roads, highways, toll booths and highway supervision;
• assistance from international consultants for technical and institutional aspects.

This project relieved congestion on the section of road between Baoshan and Longling, reduced travel times, and improved safety for users. It increased the road transport capacity between Kumming and the border with Burma, and improved access to markets and social services for poor populations.

The report prepared by the Asian Development Bank’s Independent Evaluation Department makes a positive assessment of the project, particularly in terms of relevance, effectiveness and implementation.