Evaluating Economically Justified Road Works Expenditures on Unpaved Roads in Developing Countries

Abstract

Unpaved roads require periodic road works to maintain road condition over time. These works, which require planning and economic justification, typically consist of routine maintenance, grading, spot regraveling, and regraveling activities. To help road agencies identify unpaved road sections that may be candidates for maintenance works, this paper presents the methodology of a typical analytical study applying the roads economic decision model for economic evaluation of unpaved roads, taking into account a main concern in developing countries—that is, defining a proper level of investments and quality of maintenance on unpaved roads compatible with the amount of traffic on the roads and the unit road user costs and road works costs in the country. The methodology computes economically justified levels of road investment and maintenance works expenditures. Results of the methodology should be considered a first screening process, and candidate roads that pass this first screening should be subject to further investigation that would include more rigorous economic assessment and evaluation of other aspects of the proposed expenditures, notably environmental and social aspects. The sample results derived should be considered no more than a first approximation of country-specific results. To obtain results for any country, the methodology should be replicated and adapted with refined country-specific data.