01587320

Component

The Minnesota Road Research Project (MnROAD) is an accelerated pavement test facility owned and operated by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). The facility, located along Interstate 94, northwest of the Twin Cities metropolitan area, opened to traffic in 1994. This paper summarizes the outcome of the many different projects completed during MnROAD Phase-II that began in 2007 and are now ending. Detailed information regarding facility operation and research funding costs are provided. Support was provided from MnDOT, Minnesota Local Road Research Board (MN LRRB), pooled fund states, as well as industry. The approach utilized in this paper does not take into account economic factors such as the time value of money. Assumptions must be made concerning construction costs and pavement performance. However, where feasible, the potential benefits of these research projects are quantified with the assumptions forming the basis for these estimates clearly stated. Based on conservative calculations the benefit of MnROAD Phase-II is estimated to be over $10 million per year which outweighs its annual operating costs by a factor of three over the last nine years. This estimate may be increased by an estimated $8 million per year provided that a lowering of the minimum noise level reduction requirements could be realized over the next ten years.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AFD00 Section - Pavement Management.

01584066

16-2817

English

14p

2016

Transportation Research Board 95th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; References; Tables

Benefit cost analysis; Economic analysis; Economic benefits; Pavements; Research

Minnesota Road Research Project (MnROAD)

Economics; Highways; Pavements; Research; I10: Economics and Administration; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2016 Paper #16-2817

PRP, TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 12 2016 5:15PM