Maintenance of Roads

by
D. P. Gupta
Former Director General (Road Development) and
Additional Secretary to Govt. of India
 Maintenance
Scope: All activities/tasks required for
upkeep and preservation of road
nearly in its condition that existed
immediately after construction.
Purpose: Preserve functional performance
Promote safety
Provide uninterrupted movement
Dichotomy: Road authorities insulated
from performance
Transporters have no concern for
road authorities
 Classification of Maintenance
Treatments

 Routine maintenance
 Periodic maintenance (renewal of
wearing course)
 Special repairs
 Emergency repairs
 Level of Service Parameters
 Roughness (mm/km)
 Potholes – (Number per km)
 Rutting (mm)
 Area of cracks (percentage to total
area)
 Road signs and pavement marking
(visibility)
 Clogged drains
 Skidding (percent length)
 Edge breaking (sunken shoulders)
 Damaged safety barriers
 Damaged cross-drainage structures
 Higher LOS for higher categories

 Can afford to have lower level of service

for rural roads.

 Norms for different categories

• Traffic based
• Environment/climate based
• Terrain based

 Convert physical into financial

 Issues in Maintenance
 Government commitment

 Policy

 Funds

 Operating capacity
• Planning
• Programming
• Delivery
• Monitoring
 Visibility of outcome

 HRD

 Documentation

 Technical knowledge perhaps not an issue;

technology yes; also link between
construction and maintenance.

(Assam has made some progress

on these issues.)
 Roads as Assets
Value of Assets in Assam
Rs. crore
 National Highways ___km ____
 State Highways ___km ____
 Major District Roads ___km ____
 Rural Roads ___km ____
 Tracks ___km ____

Total ___km ____

Assets need to be preserved.

 Strategy Elements
Policy Framework
(Political Support)

Funding Institutional Arrangements

 Sources  Organisation and responsibilities
 Budgeting and allocations  Asset management
 Expenditure  Human resource development
 Financial auditing

Maintenance Implementation
Management Delivery Technology Control
 Maintenance units Arrangements  Resource  Monitoring
 Inventory and  Contract utilisation  Review and
surveys procedures  Research and evaluation
 Planning and  Contract development  Technical and
prioritisation documentation financial
 Works and  Contracting  Auditing
supervision arrangements
 Maintenance Expenditure
for Roads and Bridges in Assam
(Projection by 12th Finance Commission)
Rs. Crore
Year Normal Grant-in-aid* Total
Expenditure (Central Govt.)
(State Govt.)

2005-2006 300.62 0.00 300.62

2006-2007 315.65 82.53 398.18
2007-2008 331.43 82.53 413.96
2008-2009 348.00 82.53 430.53
2009-2010 365.40 82.53 447.93

 First time, any Finance Commission has recommended special grants by

the Central Government for maintenance of roads and bridges in the
State Sector. The Commission further observed that the element of
Grand should be spent on non-salary items of maintenance. Obviously,
the idea is that grant is utilized for normal routine maintenance and
periodic renewal of road surface where conditions so justify.
 Inspections
 You need mindset
 You need vehicles
 What is to be inspected (surface, drains,
shoulders, cross-drainage structures,
signs, markings, furniture) Detect urgent
maintenance needs and traffic safety
hazards.
 You need suitable formats for recording
results
These formats can be designed to be
simple yet revealing major concerns
(decision on what to be inspected)
 You need to undertake periodic
condition surveys (system of Referral
in hospitals).
 Institutionalising this requirement is
critical
 Training/practice on ground will help
 Norms for inspections, periodicity,
timing
 Procedures for reporting emergencies
(by communities even)
 Fostering dedication.
 Hill Roads Maintenance
 Road geometrics
 Efficiency of drainage
 Riding surface
 Unstable Areas, slope failures, road
breaches
 Information signs, blind curves
 Vagaries of weather: heavy rainfall, floods,
landslides, snowfalls, breaches.
 Washed away cross drainage structures.
 Road Condition Surveys
 System has to be in place, is it possible?

 Inventory survey

 Condition survey

 See ILO study in Madhya Pradesh

 Planning and Programming
 Road Inventory, Traffic, Condition Survey
 Estimation of total requirements
• Physical
• Financial
 Preparing budget demand
 Programme – Prioritisation Strategies w.r.t.
importance of road and maintenance
treatment.
 Demonstrating effects of lower budget on
backlog of maintenance, etc.
 Calendar of Maintenance Activities
 Table 14.1 IRC SP48-1998 Hill Roads Manual
 Table 14.3 IRC SP48-1998 Hill Roads Manual
 Procurement of Works
 Gang labour
 Contractors
 Community contractors
 Performance based contracts
 Management of contracts
• Supervision, quality control tests, visual
inspection
• Payments
 Financial Aspects
 Financial accounting

 Financial audit

 Reporting of expenditure incurred

 Several Activities

 Road classification
 Road inventory
 Road condition, bridge condition
 Inspections
 Works planning, works programme
 Annual calendar of activities
 Estimation of resources
 Funds
 Materials
 Tools & plants
 Gang labour productivity
 Performance based contracts
 Work reporting
 Financial audits
 Technical audits
 Improving Performance on Maintenance

 Investigative Research in Maintenance –

Equipment, Material, Technology
 Improving Management
 Training
 System of Referral
 Communication with Operating Personnel
 Emergency Response System
Can we have a comprehensive manual
on maintenance operations for field
staff?

Will it make sense?

Can we have some stretches
which are well maintained as
demonstration pieces?

Will it make sense?

 What is the Way Forward to
achieve better maintenance to
help improve image of the
profession and the state in the
eyes of the users.