Corridor Management

Abstract

The primary assets of a transportation agency are the transportation corridors that have been established to provide the means for moving people and goods safely and efficiently. A corridor's performance in this regard is only as good as its weakest link. Therefore, to manage an asset such as a corridor to a standard for system performance is to consider its components concurrently, not by individual asset classes. A corridor has embankments, slopes, walls, bridges, and pavements, and considering these geotechnical features separately just does not make sense from a system-performance perspective. Settlement, slope instability, rockfall, erosion, and corrosion are events that can be surprises or can be recognized in advance and managed. The corridor concept can bring geo-technical assets into consideration and result in better management for system performance. The concept also provides a means for rational prioritization that allows for a phased approach to the daunting task of collecting inventory and condition assessment for features that have not previously been managed. Geoprofessionals are developing tools and practices for inventorying, assessing performance, predicting life-cycle costs and degradation, and evaluating risk associated with geotechnical features. These tools and practices contribute to effective corridor management.