BergerWorld: 2nd Quarter 2005

The efficient movement of goods and people often requires a complex network of air, water, rail and road transportation. Coordinating these diverse modes of transportation into an integrated system requires an understanding of alternate transportation modes, transportation modeling and policy, as well as the ability to encourage cooperation from disparate agencies. Since 1986, the Berger Group has worked to coordinate multimodal networks around the globe.

The improvement of multimodal networks holds the key for faster and more efficient transportation across Eastern Europe, facilitating greater trade, tourism and regional cooperation. To develop these vital networks, the European Conference of Ministers of Transport, with funding from the French Development Agency (AFD), selected Louis Berger SAS to undertake a comprehensive study of regional transport in Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania and Yugoslavia.

The Team evaluated the existing rail, highway, port and waterway networks and available aviation facilities then analyzed current traffic demand and prepared a master plan for improvements to the regional transportation network. Developing an international transportation network required extensive cooperation between the Berger team and planners from each of the participating nations.

The analysis included the development of new transport policies as well as identifying priority improvements to the regional and national transportation system to accommodate increased traffic volume. The transportation plan will improve traffic flows throughout the region and assist Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania and Yugoslavia in meeting the ambitious targets of the Pan-European Corridors and the Trans-European Network.

Through funding from the European Union (EU), Berger also assisted the Ministry of Transport and Communications to develop a multimodal rail and road network improvement program for the land-locked state of Macedonia. Macedonia currently has 3,000 kilometers of railroads and 8,600 kilometers of highways. The Berger team worked closely with officials from Macedonian Railways and the Fund for National and Regional Roads to identify areas in need of improvement. To upgrade the rail network, Berger proposed plans for the construction of a high-speed, north-south railway line and prepared a rehabilitation plan for the Veles-Bitola and Bitola-Kremenica sections of the Veles-Greek border line. To provide improved international rail links, the Berger team analyzed alternate access routes to Albania through the cities of Kicevo and Bitola.

Berger also focused on developing Macedonia's road network, particularly National Road M5, a section of the Pan European Corridor XD. The Team prepared detailed designs for the reconstruction of a 20-kilometer section from Bitola to Medzitlija and tender documents for the 76-kilometer section between Veles and Prilep, two of the most heavily traveled links in Macedonia. In addition to developing plans for the upgrade, Berger also analyzed several proposed concessions for the 96-kilometer National Route M5 and recommended modernizing the toll system by introducing electronic tolls and updating tolls to provide additional funding for upgrades.

The Team also developed an innovative rail and highway transportation plan to blend these new transit networks at a multimodal terminal in Skopje to facilitate increased public transit and provide a transit point for international cargo. Berger specialists prepared economic and financial feasibility evaluations, focusing on building public-private partnerships to fund development and wrote the concession documents and supporting environmental impact statements. Because of the importance of these investments, Berger engineers simultaneously prepared plans for both the rail and the highway upgrades. Throughout the course of this assignment, Team members organized roundtables and case study discussions for officials and planners from the Ministry of Transport and Communications to enhance their ability to plan, finance and launch multimodal transportation programs.

For traders, pastoralists and farmers in the Horn of Africa, the port of Berbera is one of the main gates to foreign markets and a key to future development. The port currently serves both land-locked Ethiopia and Somaliland and has the potential to become a regional trade hub. This could, in turn, make the Addis Ababa-Hargeisa-Berbera transport corridor a major catalyst for trade and economic development. To support these objectives, the EU selected Louis Berger SAS and Afro-Consult to assess the feasibility of upgrading the port and transportation links supporting it, including the Berbera Corridor Highway, the Berbera and Hargeisa Airports and the Ethiopia-Somaliland border crossing facilities.

The Team assessed the condition of the road links between Berbera and Addis Ababa, the Berbera port facilities, the Hargeisa and Berbera Airports and established current and future demand. Although current demand along the corridor is relatively low, the consultants anticipated that reconstruction of the area and the growing export of livestock will encourage increased traffic. The Team also compared the costs and advantages of Ethiopia using the port of Berbera with those of competing ports, including Djibouti, Assab, Massawa, Mombassa and Port Sudan.

Berger team members established that the development of the port of Berbera is the key to improved regional trade links. Port specialists analyzed the current depth and capacity for each of the existing quays and considered a number of proposals for improving the port, including the expansion of existing quays and yards to provide increased capacity, the development of the "American Quay" to accommodate large ships and the rehabilitation of the oil jetty. In addition, the Team recommended the preparation of a port master plan to ensure that all future developments are carefully integrated. Once the demand studies were completed, specialists prepared recommendations for the improvement of the corridor transportation networks, including upgrading the Harar-Jijiga and Jijiga-Togochale roadways in Ethiopia and bridging several wadis, or flood channels.

To improve air travel and cargo shipment, the Team evaluated the two principal airports in Somaliland-Hargeisa and Berbera. Increasingly, air freight carriers in the Middle East and Africa are switching from propeller aircraft to jets. This requires the modernization of the runways, aprons and taxiways at both airports. To reduce costs, the Team recommended that the improvements be included with a proposed €32 million contract to resurface the roads in the corridor.

The improvement of this international trade route provides significant potential for increased revenues in both Somaliland and Ethiopia. To foster and monitor this trade, Berger also evaluated the current capacity of the customs system and prepared recommendations to reduce smuggling between Ethiopia and Somaliland and streamline customs procedures. Among the recommendations, Team members suggested the revision of tariffs to meet recent changes in the market value of goods and the use of pre-shipment inspections for higher valued items. The Team then assisted customs officials in establishing separate procedures for goods in transit and drafted improved enforcement regulations.

The Berger Group also worked in Ethiopia to improve rail connections with Djibouti. Along with Hifab International and Swederail, Berger evaluated the current demand and revenues of the Chemin de Fer Djibouti-Ethiopien railroad which connects Addis Ababa and Djibouti and identified programs to increase use of the railroad through a private concession and an improved operations and marketing plan.

Multimodal transportation centers provide cost-effective and efficient transportation interchanges between trains, busses, airplanes, subways and highways. By linking many different transportation systems, travelers have a wider variety of choices and are more likely to use public transport. As a result, many nations are introducing multimodal transport centers. The Berger Group and the Korea Transport Institute (KOTI), Korea's leading transportation research institution, teamed together to prepare a comprehensive review of multimodal transportation options around the world.

To assist KOTI in evaluating multimodal transportation centers, Berger collected data and information from multimodal centers in the United States, Europe, South America and Asia. The Team identified the type of facility, role the multimodal center played in regional transportation, number of passengers and the planning and design of the facility. Berger also identified facilities which made efficient use of public-private partnerships and other financing measures to build the multimodal centers.

Berger has also undertaken multimodal transportation facilities studies in Argentina, Egypt, Guatemala, Indonesia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Peru, the Philippines, Qatar, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam.