Implementation of New Highway Management Tools in Developing Countries: A Case Study of Tanzania

In many developing countries like Tanzania, one of the major management problems is the lack of decision-making tools for preparing road maintenance programs. This deficiency results in poor resource allocation and poor utilization of existing assets. This paper summarizes the results of a pilot study on implementing sustainable highway management tools in Tanzania. It was recognized at the beginning of the study that data acquisition is one of the single most expensive items in the implementation of a pavement management system. Consequently a sustainable data acquisition scheme, appropriate to developing countries, was designed and tested. The research showed that using these methods together with appropriate management tools results in better management information. It is envisaged that the methods developed will help Tanzania to determine appropriate resource requirements as well as cost-effective pavement maintenance and rehabilitation programs.