Estimating The Relationship Between Cost And Condition For Routine Highway Operations And Maintenance

Abstract

When transportation agencies prepare design for new highway construction or major improvements to existing highways, the agency and user lifecycle costs are considered in project design decisions. Yet when highway projects are completed, maintenance budgets are rarely adjusted to accommodate the routine maintenance of new lane miles. This problem is worsened by the fact that each year the number of vehicle miles traveled per highway mile increases. Maintenance budgets do not keep pace or remain constant. The growing disparity between maintenance budgets and maintenance requirements causes agencies to make tough choices about maintenance priorities. Aside from concerns about preserving capital investment; highway operations and maintenance bureaus have concerns about safety and loss of operational efficiency due to deteriorating condition of roadways.