Roadways:
Connectivity between towns, cities, and other places is critical to the growth of a country. This connection is provided by roads and railways. High-speed road corridors have been one of the most important pieces of infrastructure in the country’s overall socioeconomic growth.
In many cases, a lack of effective drainage is the primary cause of highway pavement structural failure.
The life of an infrastructure asset may be protected and extended if adequate repair and maintenance of highways are performed on a regular basis and at the appropriate time. Proper design, frequent periodic inspection, and maintenance of drainage systems are critical in protecting the large investment made in the development of high-speed highway corridors and helps save huge amounts on rebuilding these roads .
4 Pillars of Highway and their Maintenance:
Overall, the highway transportation infrastructure will be pushed more towards ‘4 R’ type operations, such as
- Resurfacing.
- Restoration
- Rehabilitation
- Reconstruction
Recent advances in the realm of materials, such as microsurfacing, may be effectively employed for repairs of roads/pavements, which can be reopened to traffic in as little as 4 hours.
Pavement Management System to save costs:
Unfortunately, many people build and then abandon their infrastructure assets. This holds true for our highways & their maintenance as well. We create roads and only recall them when they are in terrible shape.
The pavement management system and the methodical approach it entails are not being executed sufficiently for repairs and restoration. Noncompliance leads to significant losses, discomfort, mechanical damage to vehicles, and lost man hours.
Many high-speed corridor pavements have collapsed prematurely due to a lack of proper highway construction and their maintenance during the design life.
This strategic maintenance if performed periodically then it is sure to provide guaranteed savings in maintenance cost and future cost of rebuilding.
Reconstruction:
Many times, old highways are so badly damaged that repair may cost as much as a new one. As a result, whenever existing pavements are in poor condition, highways are maintained using one of two methods:
- Existing highways are removed, and the recovered material is recycled and utilized as a fill material in filler courses, sub-bases, or aggregate for new pavements.
- Existing highways are worked extensively to improve the overall health and condition of the road. This ensures smoother road and clean driving experience, whilst not disturbing the entire traffic for longer periods of time as compared to reconstruction
Conclusion:
Proper pavement design, frequent monthly inspection, follow-up on inspection suggestions, and proper drainage system maintenance are critical in protecting the investment made in highway construction and their maintenance at the national, state, and even district levels. Proper and well-planned highway maintenance techniques will be beneficial in reducing losses caused by poor road conditions.