The benefits of sustainable road management: a case study

Abstract

This paper concerns the economic sustainability of appropriately maintained road networks and by means of a case study demonstrates how it can be achieved by utilising fully the resources available for road management. First, it discusses the concept of sustainability in relation to road management. Then it presents how a highway management system was introduced and subsequently been operated for 25 years in a sustainable manner by examining aspects associated with its main technical components, namely: data collection, standards, treatment selection, and prioritisation. It identifies the factors associated with the successful adoption and use of the system by the road authority concerned. To demonstrate the sustainability of the system, valuations of the road asset and measures of its condition are given. The results confirm the preservation of the asset value, as effected by the implementation of appropriate maintenance management, showing that a road authority can achieve its operational objectives if it is committed to a systematic implementation of robust engineering and management principles.