THE PRACTICAL IMPACT OF REDUCED INVESTMENT IN HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE

The progressive reduction in recent years in funds available to UK highway authorities for highway maintenance and improvement has resulted in substantial shifts in policy and in organisational and working methods at works unit level. The first section of this paper, dealing with the public sector, is primarily concerned with the practical effect of reduced investment at this level. The effect of legislative and other events on the use of resources in addition to the real terms reduction in funds is briefly discussed with particular reference to the Local Government and Planning Act, 1980. A review of the fluctuation in government and local authority expenditure in the maintenance and minor improvements sector since the 1960s opens the second section and is compared with the history of the industry's activity over the same period. Particular emphasis is placed on steps which the industry has had to take in order partially to protect the return on its investment and hence its ability to respond to the requirements of society and the public sector when such demands are made. Both sections of the paper conclude with a discussion of the possible future trends and consequences which would result from continuing low investment in the highway system. (Author/TRRL)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03066452
• Corporate Authors:

  Whitehall Press Limited

  Headington Hill Hall
  Oxford 0X3 0BW,   England 
• Authors:
  • Wrathall, D
  • Wallis, C C
• Publication Date: 1982-4

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 17-23
• Serial:
  • Highway Engineer
  • Volume: 29
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: Whitehall Press Limited
  • ISSN: 0306-6452

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Conferences; Costs; Economic impacts; Federal government; Highway maintenance; Highways; Improvements; Investments; Laws; Local government; Local government agencies; Maintenance; Maintenance management; Pavements; Personnel; Policy; Reduction (Chemistry); Resource allocation; Seal coats; Strength of materials; Structural strengthening
• Uncontrolled Terms: Maintenance costs
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• Old TRIS Terms: Reduction
• ITRD Terms: 8525: Conference; 224: Cost; 183: Government (national); 2755: Highway; 192: Local authority; 3847: Maintenance; 102: Personnel; 3096: Strengthening (pavement); 2984: Surface dressing; 8119: United Kingdom
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Economics; Finance; Highways; Law; Maintenance and Preservation; Pavements; Policy; Society; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00362320
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 30 1982 12:00AM