THE MAINTENANCE OF THE HIGHWAYS AGENCY'S STRUCTURES

This paper describes the bridge maintenance programme which the UK's Highways Agency (HA) has operated alongside its road construction and road maintenance programmes. Maintenance Agents implement the bridge maintenance programme on behalf of the HA; they are sometimes firms of engineering consultants and sometimes local authorities. Their main objectives are to maintain motorways and trunk roads at optimal whole-life cost, with minimal disruption to road traffic, and ensure road safety, reliability, and quality of ride. The Department of Transport (DoT) launched the 15-year programme in November 1987, with three main sub-programmes for assessment and strengthening, upgrading, and steady-state maintenance. General Inspections of structures, visually inspecting a representative sample of parts, are normally conducted every two years, and Principal Inspections, closely examining all accessible parts, every six years. In addition, Special Inspections of specific areas or defects causing concern are conducted as necessary. This regime is now being reviewed, to enable it to target vulnerable features. Progress in the first half of the programme was slow due to lack of funds, so that it was reviewed in depth in 1996-97, then accelerated. In 1995-96, the National Audit Office (NAO) made several recommendations. For the covering abstract see IRRD E103810.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0727727753
• Corporate Authors:

  Thomas Telford Limited

  London,   United Kingdom 
• Publication Date: 1999

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 7-13
• Serial:
  • MANAGEMENT OF HIGHWAY STRUCTURES
  • Publisher: Thomas Telford Limited

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Arterial highways; Bridges; Evaluation and assessment; Expert evidence; Federal government; Financing; Freeways; Highways; Improvements; Local government agencies; Maintenance; Material reinforcement; Structures; Surveillance
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• ITRD Terms: 3455: Bridge; 3355: Engineering structure; 9020: Evaluation (assessment); 1528: Expert opinion; 244: Financing; 183: Government (national); 2755: Highway; 9108: Improvement; 192: Local authority; 2748: Main road; 3847: Maintenance; 2752: Motorway; 9111: Reinforcement (gen); 9101: Surveillance; 8119: United Kingdom
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00782785
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• ISBN: 0-7277-2775-3
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Feb 7 2000 12:00AM