The World Bank has approved a new project in Haiti designed to improve rural accessibility and strengthen road connectivity in the country’s South and North departments. The initiative focuses on critical segments of National Road 2 and Departmental Road 41, both of which are vital corridors for regional mobility and economic activity. By targeting these key routes, the project aims to decentralize logistics, enhance supply chains, and support territorial development across Haiti. According to Haiti’s Minister of Public Works, the improvements will help connect communities to essential services in health, education, and livelihoods, while contributing to the revitalization of the local economy.
Haiti’s vulnerability to natural disasters—particularly hurricanes, heavy rainfall, flooding, and landslides—underscores the urgency of strengthening its transport network. Fragile infrastructure and environmental degradation often lead to isolated regions during storms, compounding poverty and limiting access to vital services. Women are disproportionately affected, facing heightened risks in public transport, especially during the rainy season. Strengthening road infrastructure is therefore seen as a critical step toward enhancing resilience, reducing vulnerabilities, and ensuring safer mobility for all.
The Haiti Resilient Corridors Project, supported by an $80 million grant from the International Development Association, will upgrade essential infrastructure including key bridges and culverts that are lifelines for rural communities. It will also improve rural roads to build a more robust, climate-resilient transport system. The project includes investments to help the Ministry of Public Works better respond to geological and climate hazards by replenishing its emergency bridge stock and reinforcing vulnerable areas.
Additionally, the project will rehabilitate 100 kilometers of tertiary and rural roads in highly exposed regions such as the South, Nippes, Grand’Anse, and Sud-est departments. These upgrades aim to ensure reliable transport even during severe weather. Overall, nearly 2.9 million people are expected to benefit from improved access to safer and more sustainable transport infrastructure.
The initiative will also support economic inclusion by generating an estimated 300,000 days of direct employment, with a strong emphasis on increasing women’s participation in the transport and construction sectors. Training programs will prepare women and local workers for roles in heavy machinery operation, road construction, and infrastructure maintenance. Capacity building for government and construction staff will further strengthen institutional preparedness.
Funded through the World Bank’s International Development Association, the project reflects a broader commitment to promoting economic growth, reducing inequality, and improving living conditions in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions.
