In order for municipalities to prioritize investments that extend the life of their pavement, they need to incorporate a systematic process for pavement preservation and maintenance and repair (M&R) activities in their annual work program. Pavement management programs allow municipalities to follow a systematic and repeatable process of the overall condition of their road network and identifying roadway segment candidates for pavement preservation and M&R activities. Preservation techniques such as crack sealing and localized patching help extend the life of pavements economically, if done correctly and used at the appropriate time. Pavement management programs help agencies identify the “right road, right treatment, at the right time.”
The CMAP Pavement Management Program (PMP) was established in 2018. Following a call for projects, CMAP selected 12 communities (out of 69 applicants) for its pilot PMP. For each municipality, consultants gathered pavement condition data, pavement construction history, and information on pavement repair practices. Using the information collected, the consultants worked with each municipality to prepare a customized PMP tailored to the municipality’s needs.
After securing an additional $2 million of IDOT State Planning and Research (SPR) grant funds, the program was expanded to four years and has implemented PMPs for approximately 75 municipalities and one county by the end of 2022.
Pavement management plans are now offered as an eligible project type under the CMAP Technical Assistance program. 7 municipalities who applied under the respective 2023 Call for Projects will receive pavement manage plan assistance during calendar year 2023.
Improving the road network's level of service cost effectively requires nuanced decision making. Pavement management programs are a form of asset management which seeks to optimize life-cycle costs of achieving and sustaining a desired target condition instead of prioritizing the repair of assets in worst condition first. Prioritized investment guides CMAP's approach to addressing the region's infrastructure investments as a core focus of ON TO 2050, the region's comprehensive plan.
The individual plans are available for download here.