The Roads and Highways Department of the Government of Bangladesh is responsible for the management of 20,854 kilometres of the main arterial and subsidiary road network of the country. Management of this road network in an effective and efficient manner requires a working efficient road maintenance management system (RMMS). The Institutional Development Project (IDC3) was initiated in 1994 at the insistence of the World Bank and with the finance provided by the DFID of the United Kingdom Government. Currently, in the Roads and Highways Department, an annual survey of the condition of the road network is undertaken, the HDM- 4 model is used for analyzing this data in conjunction with the road database. Other software has been developed for analyzing annual bridge maintenance needs and priorities, and also to undertake a mechanical equipment inventory. These systems help RHD to prepare the annual maintenance program and a 3-year rolling maintenance program on the basis of economic priority. The road maintenance plan for 1999-2000 has been prepared analyzing the whole life cycle costs of roads. The physical implementation of the maintenance program is currently in progress. This paper describes how systems and tools have been developed in response to needs. It also describes how the road management systems developed have been transformed into asset management system to meet the growing needs of the road users of Bangladesh. (a)
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