The Transport Agency expects Approved Organisations and the Transport Agency(state highways) to use a structured and planned approach to road network management. Forward work programmes and budgets for road operations, maintenance and renewals must be derived from:
Approved Organisations and the Transport Agency(state highways) should be able to demonstrate how the proposed road operations, maintenance, renewal and improvement activities optimise the life-cycle costs of their road networks.
This section sets out the guidance on requirement of programmes which will assist in their development and assessment.
Details of road operations, maintenance, renewal and improvement activities must be held by the organisation responsible for the programme. This includes, as appropriate:
Such evidence for individual sites must be provided on request to demonstrate the value-for-money reasons for selecting the activities.
Consideration should be given to the relationship between the recommendations in the Approved Organisation’s and the Transport Agency’s (state highways) Activity Management Plan, the requested funding and the defined quantities for each work category in the road operations, maintenance and renewal programme.
In particular, consider the robustness of:
Consideration should be given to changes from national and regional levels of service targets relating to road user satisfaction, safety and asset preservation as set out in the Transport Agency’s Maintenance guidelines for local roads(external link) or as otherwise agreed with the Transport Agency.
In particular, consider:
Consideration should be given to:
Consider innovation in sustainable practices when selecting materials, maintenance methods, and all other inputs to the submitted programme.
In addition to the long-term planning undertaken for the development of programmes, the Transport Agency(planning & investment) recognises that there may be additional issues that can lead to changes in road operations, maintenance and renewal requirements.
The Transport Agency(planning & investment) will discuss these issues as part of the regular liaison with Approved Organisations and the Transport Agency(state highways) to review and optimise programmes and also during the assessment process.
The annual funding level for an organisation’s maintenance programme is determined by the Transport Agency(planning & investment), taking into account regional negotiations.
Where Approved Organisations and the Transport Agency(state highways) wish to maintain a maintenance activity to a higher standard than that agreed in the negotiation process, the portion of expenditure receiving financial assistance will be based on the expenditure required to achieve the agreed standards and intervention levels.
Where Approved Organisations and the Transport Agency(state highways) wish to maintain a maintenance activity to lesser standards and intervention levels than the Transport Agency’s guidelines, financial assistance will be based on the least expenditure. If the lesser standards and intervention levels cause deferred maintenance, the Transport Agency reserves the right to not financially assist any future cost greater than the equivalent optimal life-cycle cost.
