Strategic road planning - how to engineer the right future

Almost without exception, sealed road networks throughout Australia were subject to very rapid expansion during the 1960s and early 1970s. However, these networks are now becoming increasingly old, while at the same time demands for expansion of them show no signs of abating. To make matters even worse, it is well known that road funding levels have not kept pace with these trends for some time. So how do we engineer the right future? Road Authorities have a very clear mandate to develop logical, defensible, and well presented road management strategies. They must know the effects of works programs on future road conditions, as well as maintenance requirements, road user costs, and road transport related aspects of the economy. This paper broadly describes the modelling tools and procedures adopted by Main Roads, Queensland, to develop its Road Network Strategy to the year 2001. The process is micro-computer based and draws upon relevant components of existing planning models. It can be used to forecast future deficiencies and upgrading needs, and estimate user costs and Road Authority costs within the constraints of varying budgets, deficiency and upgrading standards, and policy emphases (A).