This paper points out that road research covers a wide range of topics, serves a wide range of customers, and provides a wide variety of benefits. It notes that much road infrastructure is old and will last beyond a human lifetime, that the technology is relatively simple, that the users are error-prone, and that the costs and benefits are rarely linked. The paper concludes that there is a continuing need for road research as the road transport market alters, road usage increases and technology changes. It notes that the high research BCRs are due to the financial leverage obtained via the ultimate road users. The paper notes that research programs are often able to be retrospectively justified by the occasional big winner project generating enormous returns. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. 0612AR242E.
Abstract