The need for a total highway management system is defined in this paper. A highway system serves a set of objectives, such as provision of an adequate level of service, preservation of the facility condition, safety, economic development, and others. It consists of a number of physical facilities, such as pavements, bridges, roadside elements, and traffic control devices. The system is managed throughoperational functions of a highway agency, such as planning, design, construction, maintenance, and so on. The highway system can thus be envisioned in terms of a three-dimensional matrix of objectives, facilities, and functions, all of which interact with each other. The current trend of developing separate management systems for pavements, bridges, and maintenance activities is a piecemeal approach, because it ignores the needs of the total system. Consequently, many current systems are either conflicting or involve duplication, or both. Instead, individual management subsystems, such as pavement management, bridge management, and maintenance management, should be developed in proper coordination with each other and with a clear understanding of the requirements of the total system. With the rapidly developing new information and communication technologies, there is anopportunity for organizing a total highway system that can assist in managing highway facilities in a highly efficient and productive manner. This paper appears in transportation research record no. 1229, Economics, finance, planning, and administration.
Abstract