1. GRAVEL RURAL ROADS? - PAVE THE LOT! Intech Associates Mr Good Guy – the Engineer asks you to Consider the following……..

2. Setting the scene – the maintenance myth In considering rural road investment options Many agencies & economists ASSUME that road maintenance will be carried out! Intech Associates Those in the real world appreciate that :- Maintenance organisations generally aren’t funded adequately or don’t perform …. FOR A MULTITUDE OF REASONS

3. Politicians won’t support maintenance Because they can cut maintenance funding and the roads will fall apart after they leave office!!!! Also, There are no opportunities to cut ribbons, kiss babies and give self congratulatory speeches Anyway, Engineers can’t justify their needs Intech Associates

4. World Bank view? The World Bank itself admits that establishing effective maintenance regimes usually takes more than 15 years (this was 20 years ago!) Where are the working maintenance systems? What happened to the Road Maintenance Initiative? Intech Associates

5. Effects on the Poor Communities? Maintenance burden usually effectively falls on the communities/poor people – least able to cope – supposed to be our target for help. Even Low Cost routine maintenance of rural roads is rarely achieved, so what is the chance of achieving expensive and resource intensive periodic maintenance (US$500 – 2,000/km/year) for gravel roads? Intech Associates

6. Therefore – Forget Whole Life Costing which assumes maintenance is carried out, UNLESS IT CAN BE ASSURED The Engineer, The Local Financier and Local Community are more interested in annual network maintenance funding needs Intech Associates

7. Rural Road Network – Example Annual Funding Required Intech Associates

8. Pave it! Many paving types are low (or extremely low) maintenance. The International Agencies are willing to fund construction/rehabilitation and not maintenance – so why not convince them to contribute a little more “up front”. It is better to provide 1 km of low- maintenance paved road to a community rather than 2 kms of future gravel nightmares! Intech Associates

9. GRAVEL ROADS ARE UNHEALTHY FOR ENGINEERS! FROM THE COMMUNITY’S PERCEPTION THE ENGINEER BRINGS:-  A TEMPORARY SOLUTION TO THEIR SERIOUS PROBLEMS  A DRY WEATHER DUST PROBLEM  THE SHOCK OF THE FIRST REGRAVELLING BURDEN IN 3 – 5 YEARS AFTER CONSTRUCTION Intech Associates

10. GRAVEL ROADS ARE UNHEALTHY FOR ENGINEERS! FROM THE ENGINEER’S PERCEPTION A GRAVEL ROAD IS:-  A PROBLEM TO CONTROL THE QUALITY OF MATERIAL AND THICKNESS AT CONSTRUCTION (A CONTRACTOR’S DREAM COME TRUE!)  A MAINTENANCE NIGHTMARE  A PROBLEM TO KNOW WHEN THE RESIDUAL GRAVEL THICKNESS IS REACHED AND RAPID FAILURE IS EXPECTED Intech Associates

11. GRAVEL RURAL ROADS? I rest my case………. that in most instances upgrading (if justifiable) should be from earth straight to paved standard Intech Associates

12. Private Sector Roadworks – Pre-requisites for Success Adequate funding & cash flow to support effective, competitive market Reasonably stable sector workload Policy formulation & political support Competent and resourced contractors available Reasonable balance between contractor capacity and market size Clients personnel capable of managing and supervising contracts Adequate registration/pre-qualification, selection and award procedures Appropriate contract documentation Contractor access to affordable credit Efficient payment procedures Intech Associates