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Abstract
This paper reviews the development of maintenance management of roads in the United Kingdom since 1936 when the trunk road network was first established. It ranges from the first national study of road maintenance in 1970, includes the introduction of the National Road Maintenance Condition Survey, the development of maintenance codes of practice and concludes with the current development of design, build finance and operate. The involvement of both national and local government is covered and a case study in one county area is described.
The paper identifies three important changes in the approach to road maintenance. The first is the move away from a public sector monopoly in road maintenance towards a mixed economy with an increasing role for the private sector both as manager and contractor. The second is the recognition that the management of maintenance deserves as much attention as new construction. It is now accepted that the management of the road infrastructure will increasingly focus on maintenance and operational management as each country seeks to maximise capacity and minimise the whole life cost of existing assets. The third is the development of maintenance management into asset management with the emphasis on the role of the customer and the recognition that the road network must be managed as a business. Looking ahead it is likely that major roads could become seen as yet another utility and removed further from governmental control by franchising maintenance and operation to the private sector.