This webpage looks at some of the realities facing engineers and managers trying to establish appropriate and affordable maintenance on rural roads in developing regions. We look at the operational arrangement options, the technology options and the costs necessary to allocate to the task. We focus on unpaved (earth and gravel) roads as these comprise the majority of developing country networks and condition deterioration rates mean that any maintenance system must be geared up to actively prevent substantial loss of asset or severance of the network links.
Operational Arrangements
The principal options for organising rural road maintenance are through ‘Force Account’ or by Private Sector. The attached PPT sets out the main advantages and disadvantages of each option. In some circumstances the community involvement or self-help arrangement is also feasible. It is expected that this last option will gain more interest in the future as realisation grows regarding the need for a pragmatic partnership between central funding, communities themselves and technical input to achieve affordable arrangements in a limited resource environment.
Technology options
For the reasons discussed in Which Technology and Resources? and Overview of Technology Options, heavy equipment based methods of unpaved rural road maintenance are too expensive and unsustainable in most instances in a limited resource environment.
The experience has been that labour-based, or labour plus intermediate equipment can be successfully applied for road maintenance operations if certain requirements are met.
Maintenance Costs
How long is a piece of string? There are so many influential factors as discussed in What will it cost? As mentioned elsewhere on this website the cost data collection and update culture in most developing country road authorities is poor. Costings are often project based and do not take into account long term investment and overhead costs for organised road maintenance. Equipment costing is problematic due to erratic workloads, remote support issues, uncertainty on equipment life, sky high credit costs and exchange rate volatility, to name just a few factors! Unlike construction, where a large contractor can secure big discounts on new equipment, use it intensively for a year or two and possibly then even sell it on for a profit, maintenance operations require 2 – 15 year equipment commitments and usually few opportunities to hire items in as required. Finance and depreciation cost calculations are a nightmare!
Depending on local resource content and efficiency of operation, unpaved road maintenance SHOULD be achievable within the following cost ‘envelopes’:
Routine maintenance of earth and gravel roads: US$500 – 3,000/network km/year
Periodic maintenance re-gravelling of gravel roads: US$500 – 15,000/network km/year.
