Best Practice
BEST PRACTICE:
A5−3: Long Life Pavement Rehabilitation Program for Urban Freeways
DESCRIPTION:
The Long Life Pavement Rehabilitation Program (LLPRP) for Urban Freeways began in April of 1997. It grew out of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Headquarters, Office of Maintenance, specifically Pavement Managers, as they developed proposals for multi−year funding of 4R work on the State system. All pavement rehabilitated under the LLPRP will have 30–40 year design life. Thus the program will pay dividends to the highway users and Caltrans in reducing the frequency of maintenance and rehabilitation treatments, thereby reducing the number of work zones, number of maintenance activities, and therefore worker exposure.
REASON(S) FOR ADOPTING:
The driving force behind long life pavement rehabilitation strategies is user costs. The most significant factor in driving up user costs are delays due to congestion, something freeway users clearly do not want. An extra benefit of this strategy is to reduce the number and duration of lane closures during pavement reconstruction, rehabilitation, or maintenance.
PRIMARY BENEFIT(S):
Long life pavement rehabilitation strategies are developed to meet highway users' demands (i.e., safe, smooth freeways, with minimal disruptions to traffic and minimum delays for road work). Since construction windows are confined to off−peak hours, the disruption to traffic is minimized. Innovative materials, such as FSHC with higher compressive and flexural strengths, have been developed to maximize productivity within the narrow work windows.
LLPRP treatment is intended to reduce the frequency of highway work. The extra dollars paid up front for the longer design life will pay dividends by extending the time between required periodic maintenance and rehabilitation, and reduce the related traffic delays, additional operating costs, and pollution. Reducing the frequency of highway work will enhance the safety of users and highway workers.
MOST APPLICABLE LOCATION(S)/PROJECT(S):
Urban high−volume freeway rehabilitation.
STATE(S) WHERE USED:
California
SOURCE/CONTACT(S):
Steve Healow, Transportation Engineer, FHWA California Division Office
Phone: (916) 498−5849
E−mail: steve.healow@fhwa.dot.gov
