Improved methodology for benefit estimation of highway pavement projects

Abstract

This paper offers an improved process for evaluating the benefits and economic tradeoffs associated with a variety of highway pavement projects at the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). It first analyzes the WSDOT current evaluation process and their utilization of the Highway Economic Requirement System (HERS-ST) developed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The assessment identifies some limitations. As a supplement, this study develops the HERS-ST Benefit Application Tool (HERS-ST-BAT) within Excel to improve the HERS-ST software and enhance the capabilities of evaluating highway project analyses. By combining HERS-ST-BAT and HERS-ST, the analyst is able to provide estimates for a variety of regional-level agency and user costs associated with pavement programs and more effectively consider different investment alternatives. Two separate pavement project case studies are selected to apply the HERS-ST-BAT. The results indicate that the improved process is generally applicable to various highway pavement projects. Other transportation agencies, especially for those without a statewide travel demand model, can incorporate this method for evaluating pavement improvement decisions.