Citation

Lawson W, Hossain M. Transp. Res. Rec. 2007; 1989: 265-271.

Affiliation

Department of Civil Engineering, TechMRT: Center for Multidisciplinary Research in Transportation, Texas Tech. University, Lubbock, TX 79409-1023

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.3141/1989-31

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The problem of pavement edge drop-offs as a maintenance, safety, and liability issue for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is discussed. The objectives for this 2-year research project - to identify and to communicate best practices effectively for pavement edge maintenance - were accomplished by capturing more than 3,700 years of institutional knowledge from maintenance leaders representing all 25 TxDOT districts. The research focuses on maintenance practices for naturally occurring edge drop-offs, with an emphasis on low-volume roads. The key factors causing edge drop-offs are narrow road width or absence of shoulders, traffic volume and type, and adverse environmental conditions. Tracy's law-"if you lose the edge, you lose the road"-provides a key perspective on meeting these challenges and points out that good edge maintenance strategy is important in achieving good roads and that without good edge maintenance, a district cannot achieve good roads. Edge maintenance practices and procedures fall into three broad categories: awareness, preventive maintenance, and edge repair techniques. Road widening, both in-house by using TxDOT forces and by formal contract, emerged as the ultimate practice for long-term treatment of edge problems. Districts use conventional, in-house-modified, and commercially manufactured equipment specifically dealing with pavement edge maintenance to address the edge drop-off issue. Because of the significant financial resources devoted to pavement edge maintenance, several tools are used to improve the planning and allocation of edge maintenance funds.