The development objective of the Second Rural Roads Project for Morocco is to increase the rural populations' access to all-weather roads in support of the Guarantors Program. All of the upgraded or rehabilitated roads will: (a) contribute to improving rural access in a cost effective manner or with satisfactory rate of return in the case of roads with higher traffic volumes; and (b) have acceptable technical standards including for road safety and village crossings. The purpose of additional financing (AF) is to cover a financing gap in the overall Second National Rural Roads Program (NRRP2). The additional loan will finance around 1,300 km of rehabilitation or upgrading of rural roads (including small, complementary road-related infrastructure), which were already selected in 2005 as part of the NRRP2, whose detailed design is ready, but for which no other financier could be identified. These 1,300 km are part of 2,000 km still to be financed under Component A of NRRP2 and will consist of around 120 road subprojects dispersed within the Project Area. The Caisse pour le Financement Routier (Fund for Road Financing) will continue to prepare annual work plans (road implementation program and budget for the following year), which will be used to transfer funds annually.
