Rethinking Rural Road Infrastructure Delivery: Case Study of a Green, Inclusive, and Cost-Effective Road Program in Nicaragua

This paper presents a development case study on alternative thinking in rural road infrastructure delivery. The delivery advances the agendas of green growth, social inclusion, and cost-effectiveness. The empirical evidence presented in this case study focuses on 6 years of engagement in a specific road program—the Fourth Roads Rehabilitation and Maintenance Project—financed by the government of Nicaragua and the World Bank. “Green,” in this case, refers to the use of road construction materials that are clean, durable, and friendly to the environment. The use of adoquines, also known as concrete cobblestones or pavers, has proved to be an economic and environmentally friendly paving alternative at the secondary and tertiary classification levels. “Inclusion” refers to the empowerment of all citizens to participate in and benefit from the development process and the removal of barriers against those who are often excluded. The community development approach presented in this paper is implemented by specially formed community development modules or módulos comunitarios de adoquinados (MCAs). The benefits of the MCAs include the provision of short-term employment opportunities, the building of technical and entrepreneurial skills, and the engendering of a sense of ownership in and responsibility for the roads. This paper presents the MCA model, as applied on a large scale and in a cost-effective way without compromising quality or the speed of completion. The model is presented as a best practice that could be emulated in similar development work. More importantly, the authors aim to encourage a debate and challenge the “business as usual” approach to the choice of surfacing and the modality of delivery of rural road infrastructure.