A rational approach for optimization of road upgrading

Abstract

Roads designed and constructed in the 1950s and 1960s far from cover present-day traffic needs and require maintenance and renewal. A common practice of upgrading aged two-lane roads consists of pavement resurfacing, but this practice often proves insufficient at providing a high serviceability level and risks being inefficient. An existing aged and distressed road may need more radical upgrading operations. The optimum upgrading strategy must be envisaged with regards to prevailing operational criteria such as road safety, ride comfort, and serviceability. In this context, a systematic approach to the upgrading issue has been elaborated aiming at introducing all significant factors to the processing algorithm designating the optimal intervention in each case. The proposed model is meant to determine and recommend the appropriate strategy for each part of the road network and provide a high level of service and avoid unnecessary expenses. Within this scope, this rational strategy proceeds to an exhaustive assessment of examined roads with respect to their performance and defines improvement priorities in accordance with an innovative management policy. The model distinguishes four levels of "upgrading" activities, with each adopted with respect to the road condition, traffic features, ride quality, and environmental considerations. The option derived is supposed to provide the best cost-benefit upgrading solution.