Features
Advances in Road Asset Management in Chile within the Framework of the ‘PIARC Asset Management Manual’
Robinson Lucero Campos CEO of Consultores en Administración de Pavimentos APSA, Chile Member of the PIARC Technical Committee 3.3 Asset Management
Miguel Valdés Flores Head of the Road Management Department, Highway Office, Chile Spanish-speaking Secretary of the PIARC Technical Committee 3.3. Asset Management
Chile’s road network spans 85,984 kilometres. This largely consists of interurban roads and some sections in urban areas of strategic interest. The network is administered by the Highway Office, apart from 3,371 kilometres which operate under a concession system, a public-private partnership scheme. Over the last decade, the management of the road assets (divided into 9 categories) has become an essential task and road agencies are trying to achieve maximum performance from the infrastructure while dealing with budgetary restrictions and the pressures of improving the standard of roads, which have to cope with ever increasing traffic levels. PIARC’s Asset Management Manual provides a comprehensive conceptual framework for road agencies to determine their current maturity level. This article particularly focusses on the progress that Chile has made in this regard and determines future challenges.