The Analysis of Investment Gap in Rural Road Maintenance: A Case Study of Developing Country

Many countries are having an investment gap in public infrastructure; so, there is a tendency among governments to avoid adequate maintenance. With the aging of the infrastructures, the governments are also facing additional challenges and consequences from the maintenance funding gap. This paper examines the current scenario of government expenditure on rural road maintenance in developing countries. In particular, this research examines the need of increasing the maintenance budget and provides recommendations for decision-makers to prioritize the projects. Based on the analysis of 61 rural road maintenance projects, it shows that there is a gap between the required maintenance budget and the government expenditure in maintenance to maintain the standard of the road on different pavement surfaces: Earthen, Gravel, and Bituminous (Premix Carpet, and Otta Seal). This paper also shows the trends of low-cost bidding in a maintenance contract and identifies its impacts on the execution of the works. Finally, this paper highlights the importance of increasing the maintenance budget rather than spending most of the budget on new road construction