Skip to main content

Extending the life of road assets

In an opinion piece published by the IRF, Matthew Jordan-Tank, head of infrastructure policy and IPPF, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has explained that extending the functional life of road assets can be achieved using performance-based contracts. In most developing and merging market economies, roads require rehabilitation, or even reconstruction, many years prior to the expected date. Simply put: usable life is not equal to design life, and it is not uncommon to find that a ro
April 7, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
RSSIn an opinion piece published by the 3918 IRF Washington, Matthew Jordan-Tank, head of infrastructure policy and IPPF, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has explained that extending the functional life of road assets can be achieved using performance-based contracts.

In most developing and merging market economies, roads require rehabilitation, or even reconstruction, many years prior to the expected date. Simply put: usable life is not equal to design life, and it is not uncommon to find that a road must be rehabilitated only halfway into its estimated original asset duration. While harsh climate conditions with large seasonal temperature changes may play a role, much of this 'premature' investment boils down to lack of systematic maintenance that is normally applied in countries with regular 'asset management' funding regimes.

Applying performance-based maintenance contracting to the road sector can produce significant fiscal improvements, as well as user benefits in the form of better maintained and therefore safer roads.

EBRD recently published a paper providing a condensed yet substantive overview of the key international lessons learned in the area of performance-based contracts.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • GRAA winning project profile: RJ122 Highway Rehabilitation
    June 24, 2013
    The State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil administers a wide network of highways and is faced with a significant maintenance management challenge of how to best make improvements having a perdurable impact. The maintenance management for the project needed to be done at a reasonable cost and needed to be able to withstand a heavy traffic flow. To meet such challenges, the Rio de Janeiro selected project RJ122 to undertake a new type of maintenance strategy. The RJ122 highway is a unique paving project in the rece
  • IRF World Congress: Safety through technology
    October 17, 2024
    For too long there has been a focus on physical infrastructure itself when it comes to sustainability. Now we understand the interdependence of infrastructure, government agencies and policies, a nation’s health, access to education and much more. David Arminas reports from Istanbul, Turkiye.
  • RAP extends road maintenance and construction budgets
    October 26, 2020
    As fuel tax revenue disappears in the pandemic, the city of Janesville, Wisconsin is seeing savings and performance benefits
  • Develop the Silk Roads, boost economic growth
    April 12, 2012
    Tony Pearce, honorary life member and former director-general of IRF Geneva, recalls the history of the Silk Roads, highlights their continued economic relevance and introduces IRF's active long-term commitment to their rehabilitation.