In the framework of the “The Secondary and Local Roads” Project, the Albanian Development Fund is conducting trainings in the 12 regions of Albania for the maintenance of the rural road network. This training is a component of the project “Secondary and Local Roads” financed by the World Bank, CEB, OFID and other donors. Besides the investments on the rehabilitation of 1500 km of road network, this project has another important component which includes the capacity building for the communes through trainings provided by the ADF professionals.

The first training started in Shkodra city in December 2009 and other trainings followed in Diber, Korca and Fier Regions. By the end of the project, 21 training sessions are foreseen to be conducted all over Albania. Currently, the training courses for five cities have been successfully carried out.

The main objectives of these trainings are to familiarize the Local Government Units to the activities which have to be carried out for the routine road maintenance; to provide professional training for the road maintenance staff as well as to enable staff to manage the contractors of the private sector.

At the end of each training session, the participants are provided with the Rural Road Maintenance Handbook, designed and published by the ADF, and which clearly explains the steps to be followed for a more qualitative road maintenance service.

The novelty of the “Secondary and Local Roads” Project lies in ensuring the long-term functioning and sustainability of the road network by  the contracting maintenance services to the private sector.

“The Secondary and Local Roads” Project which is cofinanced by the World Bank and other donors at the amount of US$ 400 million aims at enhancing the concrete efforts in the improvement of local infrastructure as well as at increasing the access to essential services and markets, especially in the rural areas via the rehabilitation of 1500 km of road network. Currently 210 km of  regional and local road network are under implementation process at an estimated budget of US$107 million.