PAVEMENT PRESERVATION FIGHTS FOR RESPECT

Pavement preservation, which is the process of repairing road surfaces that will soon fail rather than those that have already fallen apart, has been difficult to sell to road agencies despite the establishment 13 years ago of the Foundation for Pavement Preservation. This article describes why the sub-optimal strategy of “worst-first,” often favored by the public and politicians, is so appealing. It also suggests ways for road agencies to jump-start pavement preservation policies. The Federal Highway Administration’s Office of Asset Management has recently launched a Pavement Preservation Technical Assistance Program to help agencies define their pavement preservation programs and to build pavement preservation databases. The article also describes in detail pavement preservation initiatives in several cities, as well as the use of rubberized slurry seals.