Why does NDOT repave roads that appear to be in good condition?
NDOTs concept for pavement rehabilitation is similar to changing the oil in your car every 3,000 to 4,000 miles, or painting the exterior of your house before the wood is damaged. By fixing the roads when pavement reaches an optimum service life rather than waiting for pavement distresses to appear (failure point), NDOT can save up to $42 million annually. The traveling public can save several times this amount because there are no potholes and the roads are smoother. Therefore, the wear and tear on your vehicle is reduced so your maintenance needs are less. When even modest pavement distresses appear, the cost to repair a road skyrockets. Since 1997, NDOT has employed a proactive approach of repaving a road before these distresses appear, producing significant savings. Based primarily on pavement age, traffic volume, and traffic loads, we can predict when distresses will appear and repave a road before that happens. This proactive plan has saved taxpayers an average of $42 million per
