Originally published on March 14, 2020; updated on April 24, 2023
For the road maintenance Periodic maintenance must be performed to ensure proper operation.
Every day we travel on many roads, and often we don't stop to think about the importance of maintaining these roads fast-paced life. It’s only when one of them breaks down or an accident occurs that we wonder whether the right measures were taken to ensure its maintenance, and it is the responsibility of governments to ensure that their roads are in the best possible condition.
It turns out that optimizing the highway system is a key indicator of effective governance in a first-world country. Roads in good condition improve accessibility for the population, They enable citizens to effectively travel to their daily activities, schools, and public services, which indirectly helps increase business opportunities in all cases and thereby improve citizens' incomes.
In the case of roads, poor pavement conditions can also have a significant impact on the increase in traffic accidents. This leads to essential that government agencies conduct the necessary studies to assess the condition of the roads and implement any necessary corrective measures.
Tips for Better Road Maintenance
As we've seen earlier, a well-functioning road network is key to a country's development. That's why we're sharing some tips for maintaining roads properly:
1. Have sufficient and consistent resources over time
Road maintenance work must be periodical to ensure their proper functioning, given the need to guarantee user safety. For this reason, it is essential to give the highest priority to the maintenance of this infrastructure.
Consequently, the following must be available: hissufficient financial resources to carry out these tasks, and above all, to ensure that they are carried out consistently over time. There is no point in investing a large sum of money to resurface a road if its condition is not monitored in the years that follow.
Therefore, it would be advisable to allocate approximately 2% of the equity value of the road network to be maintained, as this is estimated to be the investment required for proper maintenance.
2. Have good planning and management
As noted in the previous point, once sufficient funding is available to carry out road maintenance work, it is essential to have a good planning to carry out the tasks. It must specify in detail the work to be performed, the completion times, and the amounts for the corresponding line items.
Planning can also be medium- or long-term. Examples of management include the master plans, which are projects that, in addition to conservation, include other activities and typically span periods of more than five years. Some of the activities to be carried out under these projects include:
-
-
Road Maintenance and Assistance: These are routine tasks that are repeated every year, such as security and cleaning duties.
-
Regular maintenance: These are performed as needed, such as when laying new layers of pavement.
-
Rehabilitation: involves the partial or total reconstruction of the structural support for the elements.
-
Consequently, it is essential to develop a sound plan for managing and planning road maintenance tasks.
3. Appropriate Organization and Institutional Structure
In terms of organization, it is essential that each government agency clearly understand its responsibilities regarding road maintenance. In Spain, for example, the structure ranges from the Minister of Public Works—who is ultimately responsible—down to the Provincial Road Unit.
With regard to contracts, it is essential It is important to be clear about which types of these projects will be carried out. In the past, road maintenance was carried out by the Highway Administration using its own staff and equipment. However, this is no longer the case, and contracting out to private companies has become the norm.
These companies are hired to maintain sections of road, typically ranging from 100 to 200 km in length, for a period of 4 to 6 years. The tasks to be performed include the routine preservation and, on occasion, extraordinary preservation. If the latter is not included, it would have to be supplemented with standard contracts.
In addition, maintenance concession contracts covering periods of up to 20 years have recently emerged, under which the company is responsible for performing all necessary maintenance during the specified period.
Finally, a professional specializing in road maintenance should be appointed to oversee these contracts. In Spain, these engineers are known as COEXH Managers.
Roads Recognized for Their Maintenance
These highways are famous worldwide, not only for their length but also for the annual investment that countries make in their maintenance:
1. Sa Calobra Road in Spain
This road, located in Mallorca, is approximately 13 kilometers long. It was built in 1932. Despite its narrow width, it is perfect for cars, trucks, and even bicycles. It is maintained by the local government and is considered very safe by both Spaniards and visitors alike, due to the even terrain.
Sa Calobra Road in Spain. Source: ferrerhotels.com
2. Stelvio Pass in Italy
This highway is described as one of the most scenic in the world, and given that it attracts the attention of so many visitors, it makes sense to invest in keeping it perfectly passable, even though its roads were designed in the early 19th century. The highway is located in parallel to the Swiss border and has More than 80 iconic curves. Can you imagine poor maintenance at this strategic point?
3. Pacific Coast Highway in the United States
Highway 1, also known as California State Route 1 or the Pacific Coast Highway, runs along more than 1,000 kilometers of the Pacific coast and was built in 1934. For this highway as well as other major roads, U.S. funding covers extensive repairs that are generally carried out during the summer in the United States, a time that strategically coincides with the vacation season.
It can be said that maintaining a country's road network is essential, and it is an area on which government agencies will need to focus to ensure the safety of road users.
Before investing money in new infrastructure, it is essential to assess the condition of existing infrastructure and take the necessary steps to repair it
To help you improve your knowledge of road network management and maintenance, Structuralia offers the Master's Degree in Conservation and Highway Engineering, in addition to the Master's Degree in Highway and Road Construction and Maintenance.
