The Millennium Challenge Account-Philippines (MCA-P) has called for tenders from investors to build and restore roads and bridges in the province of Samar, Philippines, under the first phase of a $214.44m construction project.

The move marks the beginning of the Secondary National Roads Development Project (SNRDP), which is funded from the five-year $434m anti-poverty grant from the US Millennium Challenge Corporation.

The project will widen roads and strengthen pavements, as well as improve traffic measures and drainage systems.

The work also includes constructing pavements, buffer zones and curbs in populated areas for the safety of the public.

Contract Package 1, the first phase of the SNRDP, will rehabilitate a 16.3km stretch of road from Buray Junction to Barangay Tinani in the Municipality of Paranas.

An announcement published in a national newspaper stated that the planned contract duration is 550 days and work is scheduled to begin on 5 September 2012.

MCA-P will hold a pre-bid conference for the interested investors on 28 May 2012 at the Development Academy of the Philippines, while the deadline for the submission of tenders is 16 July 2012.

The second phase of SNRDP, or Contract Package 2, will rehabilitate the 63.8km road from Barangay Tinani to San Julian / Sulat municipal boundary, while Contract Package 3 intends to restore the 64.6km stretch from San Julian / Sulat boundary to Balangkayan / Llorente.

Contract Package 4 will rebuild the 79.5km road from Balangkayan / Llorente Municipal to Guiuan.