BIA Road MaintenanceTIBC MeetingBillings, MT

July 23, 2014

General Definition: Road Maintenance• Definition of Road Maintenance: The basic objective of road

maintenance is implicit in the word itself. It is done to ensure that the road that has been constructed, or improved, is maintained in its original condition. It is accepted that over the life of the road it will deteriorate due to factors with which maintenance activities cannot deal. Nevertheless maintenance is intended to begin on the first day after the road improvement works are completed.

• The basic purpose is to maintain, not improve or reconstruct.• Its purpose is to ensure that the road that has been constructed (regardless of

standard), or improved, is maintained in its as-built condition.• It is given that over the life of the facility it will deteriorate due to factors with

which maintenance activities cannot address.• It is intended to begin on the first day after the road improvement works or

acquisition are completed.

Road maintenance is not ‘glamorous’! Road maintenance activities are not celebrated with a ribbon cutting.

BIA Road Maintenance Program

• Road maintenance is not an improvement program. It is the maintenance of transportation facilities in the as-built condition.

• Road construction funding is authorized for the improvement and reconstruction of roads.

• ~3/4 of BIA roads are earth roads (gravel surface or unimproved earth)

• Road Sealing is a preventive maintenance activity, it is allowed under Title 23 without restrictions associated with road maintenance provisions in MAP-21

BIA Road Maintenance (Cont.)

• ~ 345 locations where BIA roads are located• ~ 29,400 miles of existing BIA Roads (Over 900 bridges)• ~ 85% of BIA Roads are in 6 of the 12 Regions• Funding varies from a high of $41 M in 1992 to $24.1 M in FY2013

• 1991 BIA Miles of Roads: ~20,200• 2013 BIA Miles of Roads: ~29,200

• ~ 22,125 or 75% of BIA roads are earth, gravel or primitive (unimproved)

• ~ Allocation methodology: historic percentage

Road Maintenance budget – recent history

(x 1000) (x 1000) (x 1000) FY2010 Enacted/(x 1000)

(x 1000) (x 1000) (x 1000)

FY2008 FY2009 FY2010 FY2011 CR FY2012 FY2013 FY2014

$25,576 $26,046 $26,490 $26,490 $25,390 $24,123 $24,303

10080

191

275300

450 450

22.5 30.6 30 26.4 27.6 26.5 24.3

FY1985 FY1990 FY1995 FY2000 FY2005 FY2010 FY2014

0

100

200

300

400

500

Highway $ Road Maint $

Highway Const. and Road Maint.

Millions, $

In 2005, highway account made road maintenance an eligible activity.

Over 75% of BIA roads are earth, gravel or unimproved

Summary

• It cost more to maintain roads which are earth, gravel or unimproved• Many of the BIA roads were not designed or constructed to a standard, they are

being maintained as “as-built” roads• Maintenance of unimproved roads is a “risk” investment, weather has a great impact

on the investment of road maintenance• Bridges has actually improved (no. of deficient bridges, 25% to 22%) because there is

a dedicated fund (TTP Bridge Facilities)

• Roads which are constructed in current year, will require a major investment in current year + 5-7 in order to sustain the initial investment

• ARRA $ was targeted primarily at roads in fair condition, and the initial impact was a three point improvement of 15% to 18% of roads in adequate condition ($143.5 M)