Yemen is inviting firms to prequalify by 28 August for a contract that covers maintenance of 362 kilometres of roads in the country.

The contract will involve carrying out routine maintenance of the 62-kilometre Amran-Hajah road and maintenance of 300 kilometres of rural roads in the governorates of Amran and Hajah, which are north of the capital Sanaa.

Yemen’s Public Works & Highways Ministry says it plans to award one contract to cover all of for the work.

The road maintenance scheme is part of Yemen’s Second Rural Access project, which mainly involves developing a $50m masterplan that will integrate different modes of public transport for the city of Sanaa.

In January, the ministry invited firms to submit expressions of interest in preparing the urban transport plan (MEED 28:1:10).

The International Development Association (IDA) is helping to finance the Second Rural Access project.

The IDA is part of the Washington-based World Bank and is responsible for providing loans to poorer countries.

Part of the loan will be used to fund the maintenance work needed for the Amran-Hajah road and the rural roads.

In October the minstry expects to invites companies to bid for the development of eight rural roads. The contract for the road projects will be split between two packages, with building work taking place in six different governorates of Yemen.