QUESTION:
Short Notes on Infrastructure Projects.
Introduction
“Imagine one lived in a place where there were no pipes to carry water to your faucet and your toilet, no pipes to carry away your waste, no wires to power your appliances and computers and to light your home, no wires to carry telephone conversations and your internet messages, no roads on which to drive, no railroad tracks to guise trains, and no bridges to cross rivers, Would that be a place where you would want to live?”. These according to Matthy Levy and Richard Panchyk (2000 Engineering the City; How Infrastructure Works), is the story of infrastructure which teaches us about the history of human development from the time we lived in caves and first set establishment villages. It also shows us the contribution of science, mathematics, and industry to our built environment. Invisible infrastructure contributes to the quality of people’s life.
1.0 The Concept and definition of Infrastructure Projects
Infrastructure refers to economic services from utilities such as electricity, gas, telecommunications and water. Transport works such as roads, bridges, urban transit systems, seaports and airports which are central in promoting economic activities in the country. Good infrastructure helps by providing economic services efficiently, promoting economic competitiveness and supports high productivity. Poor infrastructure on the other hand impedes economic growth and can be seriously detrimental to the efficient use of scarce resources.
The role of infrastructure in the economy, the essential nature of its services, the size of individual projects, and its important social dimensions call for a governmental role in planning and promoting, and ensuring independent regulations that provide a level playing field for both public and private sector enterprises. When projects are operational, the role of