Highway construction and maintenance costs

This paper gives details of the results of research on maintenance manageme nt practices and expenditures on road infrastructure in the province of New Brunswick during the period 1965-1994. An analysis of historic levels of s pending on road maintenance, rehabilitation and new construction; current m aintenance management practice; and the source and allocation of funds indi cated three trends: (i) routine and preventive maintenance funding has stea dily decreased over the past 30 years while traffic and vehicle registratio ns have increased; (ii) maintenance expenditures are not keeping pace with system needs; and (iii) there is a need for a review of traditional constru ction and maintenance management practices. Three cost prediction models we re developed to determine an accurate cost for road maintenance. Based on t he models and the management review, it was concluded that maintenance fund ing needs to be increased by 25% in conjunction with the implementation of a comprehensive maintenance management system, if the Department of Transpo rtation is to adequately meet the current and future needs of the existing road network.