HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE COSTS - A CONSIDERATION FOR DEVELOPING AREAS

HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE COSTS AND OPERATIONS WERE ANALYZED TO PROVIDE INFORMATION NEEDED IN PLANNING HIGHWAY SYSTEMS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTENANCE EXPENDITURES WITHIN THE TOTAL OF HIGHWAY EXPENDITURES WAS ESTABLISHED, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THAT MAINTENANCE COMMITMENTS ACCUMULATE AS THE HIGHWAY SYSTEM GROWS. THE FACTORS INFLUENCING MAINTENANCE NEEDS AND COSTS WERE ANALYZED. METHODS FOR ESTIMATING MAINTENANCE DEMANDS WERE DISCUSSED. ANNUAL MAINTENANCE EXPENDITURES DO NOT DECREASE WITH THE HIGHER TYPES OF PAVEMENTS. FOR THE HIGHER TYPES OF SURFACES, ROADSIDE AND TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE MAINTENANCE INCREASE, NOT ONLY IN ABSOLUTE COST BUT ALSO IN THEIR PROPORTION OF THE TOTAL EXPENDITURE. MAINTENANCE OF HIGHER TYPES OF SURFACES REQUIRES MORE SKILLED PERSONNEL, MUCH MORE SPECIALIZED AND DIVERSIFIED EQUIPMENT, AND IMPORTED MATERIALS. HOWEVER, IN GENERAL, THE HIGHER THE SURFACE TYPE, THE GREATER IS THE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC. THE IMPORTANCE OF ADEQUATE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION WAS EMPHASIZED. THE IMPLICATIONS OF OVERPAVING AND UNDERPAVING WERE REVIEWED AND THEIR SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS WERE CONSIDERED. UNPAVED ROAD SYSTEMS WOULD TEND TO ACCELERATE THE URBANIZATION OF A COUNTRY BUT WOULD NOT DISBURSE IT. TO DISBURSE DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRYSIDE AND RETARD THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MAJOR URBAN COMPLEXES, THE PROVISION OF A PAVED ROAD SYSTEM IS IMPORTANT.

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  • Authors:
    • Betz, Mathew J
  • Publication Date: 1965

Media Info

  • Media Type: Digital/other
  • Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
  • Pagination: pp 1-27
  • Monograph Title: Maintenance practices
  • Serial:

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Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00217975
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS, TRB
  • Created Date: Dec 12 1994 12:00AM