THE TRANS-AFRICAN HIGHWAY NETWORK

Background Summary The major task in this area has been carrying out project preparation involving identifying missing road and railway links, recommending specific actions to build the missing links and assisting in resource mobilisation efforts. On-going development of an Intergovernmental Agreement and Road Safety Charter. Projects majorly based on the selected activities under the Port Moresby agreement through Technical contract signed on January 2010. The AUC played the role of Executing Agency in conducting prefeasibility studies on a number of major transport corridors in Africa Other studies funded through the NEPAD-IPFF included prefeasibility studies of the missing links along the Dakar-Djibouti and the Djibouti-Libreville Transport corridor. These studies have been completed. www.africa-union.org

Project Description. Pre-Feasibility Study of the Western Section of the Beira-Lobito Corridor (Trans-African Highway-TAH No. 9). Regional Transport Study of the Trans-African Highway N°3 (At Kinshasa-Brazzaville Bridge) with Pre-Feasibility Road Study and Regional Ports Options. Comprehensive Market Analysis and Options Study for Implementation, Operation and Financing of Cotonou-Niamey-Ouagadougou Railway. Technical Advocacy and Support Activities For Gambia Bridge Project. Financed under the EU (9th EDF) in the framework of the EU-Africa Infrastructure Partnership. Completed in August 2012. Intergovernmental Agreement on the Trans-African Highway Norms & Standards Africa Road Safety Charter Funded under the World Bank Trade Facilitation Facility (TFF) Dakar-N’djamena-Djibouti Corridor Trans-African Highway (TAH) Nos. 6 and 7. Djibouti–Libreville Corridor. Funded under the NEPAD-Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility (IPFF) www.africa-union.org

Required Investment. Railway Corridor. Road Corridor. Total length of missing links: 10,396 km . Required estimated investment : 25.2 Billion $US or 19.1 Billion Euros equivalent, mainly for new construction and rehabilitation of rail sections. The total length of missing links: 6,912km. Required estimated investment : 7 Billion $US or 5.3 Billion Euros equivalent for new construction and rehabilitation. Railway Corridor. Road Corridor. www.africa-union.org

Possible Interventions. Hosting of investment forums / roundtables where Member States, RECs, specialised institutions, development financiers, investors and the private sector can come together to discuss practical means of funding and implementing corridor projects. www.africa-union.org

Recommendations. Supporting mobilization of resources including investments for the completion of identified missing infrastructure links on major transport corridors as well as for addressing operational constraints. This could be in the form of supporting financing/investment roundtables organized by RECs or groups of concerned countries; Provision of training to relevant experts of countries, regional and continental organisations on management and execution of regional transport infrastructure projects; and Exchange of experiences in the management of regional infrastructure programmes and others where best practices and successful examples can be disseminated. www.africa-union.org