Strategies for Managing an In-Service Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement in Illinois

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) District 3 office sought a comprehensive, long-term plan for fiscally managing a 36-mi portion of I-39 in LaSalle County, Illinois. To accomplish this, IDOT initiated a study to evaluate the historical and current conditions of the continuously reinforced concrete pavement constituting I-39, determine the pavement needs, and develop cost-effective, long-term strategy recommendations for keeping the facility at an acceptable serviceability level over an extended period of time. The project consisted of three phases: (1) review and analysis of construction, maintenance and repair, and time-series pavement condition data; (2) supplemental field data collection and analysis; and (3) pavement strategy development and cost analyses. Using the historical records and performance data, the project was subdivided into segments based on unique pavement conditions and needs. An optimal pavement strategy was developed for each road segment, reflecting the best theoretical solution, based on performance data and pavement management guidance. Two suboptimal strategies were then developed, one reflecting a preventive treatment approach and the other an aggressive treatment approach. Each strategy was defined by a series of treatments at different times, covering a 50-year analysis period. The strategy cost analyses included the computation of life-cycle costs and benefit–cost ratios for each strategy alternative, and a risk assessment of the suboptimal strategies. The cost analysis results provided IDOT District 3 with critical information for selecting the most economical set of long-term strategies for keeping the I-39 pavement segments serviceable for the traveling public over the 50-year planning period.