Methodology and base cost models to determine the total benefits of preservation interventions on road sections in Switzerland

In Switzerland, it is common practice to estimate the total benefits of new roads before they have been built and of road improvement interventions before they have been performed. The guidelines with respect to standardised methodologies and models to be used have been developed (VSS 2003a) and are now in use. It is not yet, however, common practice to estimate the total benefits of road preservation interventions and hence guidelines do not exist with respect to standardised methodologies and models to be used. In order to provide this information, the research package VSS 2004/710-716 was started. This paper presents the methodology and models proposed to be used to evaluate the total benefits of road preservation interventions in Switzerland based on the evaluation and synthesis of existing national and international literature on the relationships between pavement condition and benefits of road use conducted in project 714 of the research package. The use of the methodology and models are demonstrated by determining the optimal intervention strategy for a representative situation in Switzerland. The impact on the optimal intervention strategy of the consideration of multiple stakeholders is investigated.