1 INTRODUCTION

This report has been prepared in view of the construction of the Grade Separated Junctions
(GSJ) at Pont Fer, Jumbo, Dowlut roundabouts, a road development scheme which
includes the rerouting of part of the Sodnac Link Road. The project is mandated by the
Government of Mauritius as part of the Road Decongestion programme which includes a
host of other projects. The authority responsible for the project is the Road Development
Authority, which falls under the purview of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and Land
Transport. In view of this project, the RDA has appointed KEC, CHEIL Engineering Ltd.,
and Kyongdong Engineering Co Ltd. as Consultants. In this report, the term “the
Consultant” refers to the consortium “KEC-CHEIL-Kyongdong”. The report has been
prepared by the Consultant in collaboration with GIBB (Mauritius) Ltd. in view of fulfilling the
requirements of the Government of Mauritius under the Environmental Protection Act 2002
which mandates the preparation of an EIA for highways and mass transit projects.

This chapter describes the purpose of this report, provides some background to the
proposed project, presents the parameters for the study, and explains the report structure.

1.1 The Project Proponent

The RDA’s mandate is defined by the Road Development Authority Act. The RDA is, in
terms of section 4 of the RDA Act, responsible for the construction, care, maintenance and
improvement of motorways and main roads and its duties include:

 to plan, design and supervise the construction of roads intended to be classified as

motorways and main roads
 to carry out or cause to carry out the upgrading of motorways and main roads and their
routine and periodic maintenance
 to plan, design and supervise the construction and reconstruction of bridges, tunnels
and associated works on motorways and main roads
 to prepare and implement road development schemes
 to regulate the undertaker’s works in relation to motorways and main roads.

1.2 The Road Decongestion Programme

Through the Road Decongestion Programme, the RDA expects to meet, amongst others,
the following objectives:

 Provision of efficient and effective transport services in support of development,

business, trade, tourism and production sectors of the economy
 Reduction of vehicle operating costs, travel time costs, road maintenance costs
between the South and the North
 Reduction of traffic congestion on the existing motorways through the provision of
bypass alternatives for Port Louis
 Reduction of traffic accidents and enhancement of road safety.

EIA GSJ at Pont Fer / Jumbo / Dowlut Roundabouts 1-1 May 2017
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 The scope of the Road Decongestion Programme comprises, inter alia, the following road
linkages and junctions:

 the construction of a ring road from the M1 near Sorèze to the mountain at Quoin Bluff
(Ring Road Lot 1) (completed);
 the construction of a bridge over the Grand River North West Valley to connect A1 at
Chapman Hill to the M1 at Sorèze;
 the construction of a new road connection from Nicolay Road on the A2 and Quay D
Roundabout on the M2 in the North of the city;
 the construction of a new road linking Terre Rouge –Verdun-Trianon that runs from the
M2 at l’Espoir in the North to Trianon on the Central Plateau, via Bois Pignolet, Valton,
Ripailles and Verdun; (completed);
 the widening of the existing M1 from Phoenix to the Caudan Roundabout and
conversion of the Caudan Roundabout to a grade separated junctions (completed);
 The widening of the M1 from Caudan to the start of the Waterfront Road and the
resurfacing of the Waterfront Road to the Quay D Roundabout;
 The resurfacing and refurbishment of the existing M2 from the Quay D Roundabout
and the Terre Rouge roundabout;
 The widening of the M2 between the Mer Rouge Roundabout and the Terre Rouge
Roundabout (both north and south bound lanes) including the conversion of
roundabouts into grade separated junctions;
 The grade separation of the Phoenix and Dowlut roundabouts;
 The construction of a pedestrian bridge north of the proposed A1-M1 ramp at Cassis to
facilitate removal of the traffic signal;
 The demolition of the concrete ramp northbound access to the A1 at Belle Village and
the construction of a new interchange at Camp Chapelon connecting the M1, Old Moka
Road and the Plaines Lauzun Industrial zone;
 The widening of the M1 to 3 lanes in both directions between Camp Chapelon and
Belle Village following the removal of the concrete ramp at Belle Village;
 The construction of an integrated grade separated interchange to combine the A1M1
Bridge Road, the M1 and the Ring Road accesses at Sorèze;
 The grade separation of the Jumbo Roundabout;
 The revised alignment for the Ring Road exit into Chateau d’Eau/ Victoria Boulevard
and;
 The rehabilitation of the northbound sections of the M1 between Phoenix and Grewals
Junction and the southbound sections between Phoenix and Caudan.

1.2.1 The Project

The project is part of the Road Decongestion Programme, i.e. being the grade separation of
the Phoenix and Dowlut roundabouts, and comprises the following:

 Improvement of entrance and exit for industrial area on Pont Fer roundabout;
 Improvement of Pont Fer viaduct alignment on M1 Motorway;
 Improvement of the Jumbo viaduct alignment on B63 road;

EIA GSJ at Pont Fer / Jumbo / Dowlut Roundabouts 1-2 May 2017
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  Change of the existing Jumbo Roundabout to a 3-leg intersection;
 Improvement of alignment of the ramp at Dowlut Roundabout.

The general project location is shown in Drawing M191/GSJ/EV/LA/01.

1.3 Project Team

The Road Development Authority has appointed, through a Government to Government

agreement the project team which consists of Korea Expressway Corporation (KEC),
CHEIL Engineering Co Ltd. and Kyongdong Engineering Co Ltd., herein referred as the
Consultant. For purposes of the EIA report, the services of GIBB (Mauritius) Ltd. have
been retained. The profiles of KEC, CHEIL Engineering, Kyongdong Engineering and GIBB
(Mauritius) Ltd. are described briefly below.

1.3.1 Korea Expressway Corporation (KEC)

Korea Expressway Corporation constructs and operates expressway networks in the

Republic of Korea. The company operates through Toll Business, Incidental Business,
Supporting Business, and Construction Business segments. It constructs expressways,
tunnels, and bridges; provides expressway maintenance services, such as routine and
periodic maintenance, and emergency response, as well as road, facility, and structure
rehabilitation; and real-time and three-dimensional road management services. The
company also offers various traffic management services, such as traffic information;
congested area management services, such as shoulder lane system, bus-only lane
system, and ramp metering system services; and traffic safety management services,
including safety patrol services. In addition, it engages in the auxiliary project activities in
the areas of showers, sleeping lounges, Wi-Fi, and restaurants; and solar-light power
generation.

Further, the company provides project management services comprising planning,

financing, design, procurement, construction, operation, and maintenance services; value
engineering services to the expressway projects; and project management of private-
funded expressways, as well as operation and maintenance management, and technical
assistance services. Additionally, it offers intelligent transport systems, such as
expressway traffic management systems, toll collection systems, and tunnel traffic
management systems; operation services consisting of disaster, traffic, pavement, and
structure management services; and bridge load rating/testing technology for determining a
bridge's real load carrying capacity. The company also leases service areas and gas
stations; offers research services; and provides services to the government, including
supervision of government construction projects along various locations adjacent to the
expressways. Korea Expressway Corporation was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in
Gimcheon, South Korea.

1.3.2 CHEIL Engineering Co. Ltd.

Cheil Engineering Co., Ltd. provides engineering services for infrastructure projects in
South Korea and internationally. The company offers planning, preliminary engineering and
feasibility study, basic/detailed design, engineering consulting, environmental impact
assessment, and construction management and supervision. It provides transportation
engineering services for roads and highways, bridges and structures, tunnels and soils,
traffic and ITS, port and harbour, and airport, as well as railway, subway, and LRT; water
and environmental engineering services for water supply and sewerage, water resources,
EIA GSJ at Pont Fer / Jumbo / Dowlut Roundabouts 1-3 May 2017
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 and environment; urban development services, including urban planning, land development,
landscape, and architecture; and environmental plant engineering services, such as
process engineering, and electrical and mechanical. The company also engages in
research and development operations. Its clients include government organizations,
research institutions, and academic societies and associations. Cheil Engineering Co., Ltd.
was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.

1.3.3 Kyongdong Engineering Co. Ltd.

Kyongdong Engineering Co. Ltd. provides technical engineering and consulting services in
Africa, the Middle East, the Commonwealth of Independent States, Southeast Asia, and
Central Asia. It offers engineering design, construction supervision, and project
management services in the area of roads and highways, structures, geotechnical
engineering and tunnels, traffic management, railways, urban planning and engineering,
landscape and leisure, environmental evaluation, ports and harbour, water supply and
sanitation, electrical and mechanical, water resources, plants, and construction supervision
and management. The company is based in Anyang, South Korea.

1.3.4 GIBB (Mauritius) Ltd.

GIBB has been present in Mauritius since 1958. Initially, Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners
(Africa), based in Nairobi, were invited to Mauritius and provided consultancy services in
the fields of Wastewater, Roads, Airport and Wave Energy. GIBB's involvement was
continuous in Mauritius as such until 1972, when Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners (Mauritius)
was set up as a local partnership under the laws of Mauritius. GIBB (Mauritius) Ltd was
incorporated as a private Mauritian company under the laws of the Republic of Mauritius in
February 1991. Today, GIBB (Mauritius) Ltd. provides consulting engineering services in a
wide range of construction related activities for large infrastructure projects. In addition,
GIBB (Mauritius) Ltd also provides environmental consulting services, including the
preparation of EIA reports and relevant specialist studies.

1.4 Project Background

KEC was approached by the Government of Mauritius in 2015 to look into the feasibility of
the proposed project. In early 2016, KEC undertook a mission which led to the preparation
of the Mission Report. The Government of Mauritius appointed the KEC to carry out the
consultancy services for the design, supervision and project management for the
construction of Grade Separated Junction Pont Fer – Jumbo – Dowlut. The Consultant’s
scope of services is described in elaborated detail in the Terms of Reference (TOR) and will
be conducted in two distinct phases:

 Phase 1 Front-End Engineering Design, Bidding Documents & Procurement

 Phase 2 Detailed Engineering Design, Project Management, Supervision, and
Commissioning & Defects Inspection.

1.4.1 Aim of Project

The Client intends to implement the project, which consists in the construction of Grade
Separated Junction of Pont Fer - as part of the Road Decongestion Programme.

The objectives of the project are as follows:

EIA GSJ at Pont Fer / Jumbo / Dowlut Roundabouts 1-4 May 2017
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 a) improve the transport networks by providing efficient and effective transport networks,
reduce traffic congestion, improve fluidity of traffic at the two locations in support of
development, business, trade, tourism and production sectors of the economy
including the creation of smart cities island wide;
b) improve the transport networks with increase in level of service and mobility, and
foster social inclusiveness;
c) reduce vehicle operating costs, travel time costs, operations costs and negative
externalities associated therewith;
d) reduce traffic accidents and enhance safety for road users with focus on protection of
vulnerable road users;

1.4.2 Initial Project Description

As per the Mission Report, the key characteristics of the project would be as follows:

 Number of Lanes - 1 to 6 lanes for both sides (for viaduct)

 Bridge - 3 locations / 523m (1 to 4 lanes)

 Junctions - Grade Separated Junctions / 3 locations (Including the improvement of

Jumbo & Dowlut Roundabouts).

1.5 Report Structure

This EIA Report is structured as follows:

Chapter 1: provides the context to the Project, the project team, and the aim of the EIA
report. KEC are working in collaboration with Cheil Engineering Co. Ltd, Kyongdong
Engineering Co Ltd, and with GIBB (Mauritius) Ltd. specifically for the EIA which has been
prepared in parallel with the detail design stage.

Chapter 2: describes in detail the environmental policy, institutional and legal framework
under which the project will be developed. The Environmental Protection Act, 2002
mandates the requirement for an environmental impact assessment (EIA) prior to any major
development, such as land transport infrastructure and highways.

Chapter 3: describes the purpose, nature and extent of the Project. The project will
improve traffic at the Grade Separated Junctions (GSJ) at Pont Fer, Jumbo and Dowlut as
well as a partial rerouting of Sodnac Link road. This chapter consist of extracts from the
Front End Engineering Design (FEED) Report.

Chapter 4: describes the alternatives considered in designing this project. The Front End
Engineering Design (FEED) report considered alternative designs for each aspect of the
project namely the GSJ at Pont Fer, Jumbo and Dowlut as well as the above mentioned
partial rerouting of Sodnac Link road.

Chapter 5: presents the baseline environment conditions. The immediate surroundings of

the project comprises the MITD house and the Industrial Zone at Pont Fer, Mesnil River
and River Sèche at the Dowlut roundabout and the Phoenix mall and residential areas
around the project site.

EIA GSJ at Pont Fer / Jumbo / Dowlut Roundabouts 1-5 May 2017
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 Chapter 6: presents the baseline traffic situation based on data collection and appraisal of
traffic characteristics required for the project. A number of studies have been carried out
including literature studies, site visit, traffic surveys and on-site investigations.

Chapter 7: presents the assessment of impacts predicted, based on various factors such as
Type and location, Magnitude or intensity, Duration, Reversibility. The probability of the
impact materialising and the consequence of the impact are also taken into account.

Chapter 8: presents the assessment of traffic impacts predicted. Traffic demand forecasting
model in Mauritius was based on the VISUM program, which has been established as part
of Integrated National Transport Strategy with PTV in Germany since 2000.

Chapter 9: presents the assessment of impacts predicted, based on various factors such as
Type and location, Magnitude or intensity, Duration, Reversibility. The probability of the
impact materialising and the consequence of the impact are also taken into account.

Chapter 10: presents the conclusion of the EIA. It is considered that the project will be
highly beneficial to the corridor along M1 motorway, the A10 and Sivananda Avenue, in
terms of alleviating traffic congestion.

EIA GSJ at Pont Fer / Jumbo / Dowlut Roundabouts 1-6 May 2017
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