In some areas of the united states, particularly in gentle topography, closely spaced road systems have been developed that, although low cost per mile to construct, are costly in total to maintain. These low-volume roads are often characterized by short periods of use separated by long periods of little or no use. During periods of little or no use, periodic maintenance must be done both to maintain public safety and to prevent degradation. Closing a road requires aninvestment to prevent unplanned entry and also often requires modification of drainage facilities. Opening a closed road involves an investment. Managers must decide which roads should be left open and maintained, which roads should be closed, which roads should be reopened, and in what period. Managing roads for intermittent use differsfrom classic transportation development where the emphasis is on construction and transport costs and does not include intermittent road management options and costs. An efficient mathematical formulation for intermittent road management and a numerical example are given. This paper appears in transportation research record no. 1291, Fifth international conference on low-volume roads, may 19-23, 1991, raleigh, north carolina, volume 1.
Abstract