WASHINGTON, D.C., November 12, 2025 -The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors approved a new project in Haiti aimed to improve resilient rural accessibility and road connectivity in the South and North departments. Key roads segments targeted included National Road 2 (between Les Cayes, Saint-Louis du Sud and Port de Saint-Louis du Sud), Departmental Road 41 (in the Sud-est) in the section from Ouanaminthe towards the Dominican Republic border.
"The Haiti Resilient Corridors Project aims to support the decentralization of the country's logistics and supply chain through the development of key road corridors for the national economy. The initiative seeks to establish suitable, integrated, and well-maintained transport infrastructure to foster territorial development. The project will facilitate connections between the populations served and basic social services, including health, education, and livelihoods,"said Raphael Hosty, Minister of Public Works, Transportation, and Communications. "We want to thank our partners, including the World Bank, which is providing fundamental support in the construction and rehabilitation of primary and secondary infrastructure to revitalize the local economy."
"Haiti's exposure to natural hazards, coupled with vulnerable infrastructure, and a high level of environmental degradation constitute fragility drivers that can deepen poverty in the country," said Anne-Lucie Lefebvre, World Bank Country Manager for Haiti. "Investment in road infrastructure is fundamental to build resilience, generate sustainable jobs and maximize access to basic services."
Frequent and intense rainfall events, along with hurricanes, lead to flooding, landslides, and storm surges that isolate entire regions, particularly during the rainy season. In the context of public transport, women face heightened risks of harassment, assault, and robbery, particularly during the rainy season when infrastructure is further compromised, which in turn limits their access to economic opportunities and essential services.
The US$ 80 million Haiti Resilient Corridors Project will restore and upgrade critical bridges, such as La Digue, Côte-de-Fer and Mahot, and culverts that represent the backbone of accessibility for rural communities, while improving connecting rural roads with a focus on creating a resilient and robust road network. It will also enhance the capacity of the Ministry of Public Works, Transport, and Communications to address geological and climate hazard response through the replenishment of the emergency bridge stock.
Further, the project will invest in the protection and rehabilitation of existing road infrastructure to strengthen the capacity of the road network to withstand climate change and extreme weather events. In highly vulnerable cities with low rural accessibility to the South, Nippes, Grand'Anse and Sud-est departments, the project will rehabilitate and upgrade 100 kilometers of tertiary and rural road networks, with a focus on critical spots to improve transport robustness and reliability, especially during the rainy season.
The project will benefit nearly 2.9 million people with improved access to sustainable transport infrastructure and services. The implementation of the project is expected to generate 300,000 days of direct work for the local labor force. The project will promote women's inclusion in the transport infrastructure construction labor force by supporting training and certification in the safe and appropriate operation of heavy machinery; training in road construction and maintenance techniques. The project will also finance capacity building for the Ministry and construction companies' staff.
The World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) is funding the project. IDA provides grants and zero to low-interest loans to help countries finance projects that support economic growth, reduce inequalities and improve living conditions.
