EVALUATION ON MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OF ROAD MAINTENANCE CONSTRUCTION: CASE STUDY ON PROJECTS UNDER JIMMA ZONE

Abstract

All roads require maintenance as they are subjected to daily traffic load and the forces of weather. Even with the highest possible construction quality, care is essential to get optimum service from the road structure during its design life. In Ethiopia, it is getting hard to get good roads, especially gravel roads, in the summer season. Still, it is not about the streets that did not have a maintenance budget to repair. It is due to the management system during maintenance construction. The study's main objectives are to evaluate the management system of road maintenance construction in Jimma zones, specifically investigate the poor management system, to determine the significant factor for the poor management system and the consequences on road maintenance construction projects. The study was carried out by desk study, interview, and questioner survey. Professional contractor, consultant, and clients under Ethiopian Road Authority of Jimma road network management directorate with nine routine and periodic term maintenance projects in Jimma zone and Oromia Road Authority with 13routine and periodic term road maintenance projects were the study population selected with the non-probability sampling method. The collected data were analyzed using origin software, Statically RII formula by Microsoft excel software. In each of the three managerial levels, the study's findings illustrated that 86% of the respondents agreed with the poor management system of road maintenance construction in the Jimma zone. The top factors were identified from the major factors for the poor management system of road maintenance construction, the Non-technical work methodology (RII=0.187), the Improper manpower allocation (RII=0.187), the Unexpected inflation/material price escalation/ (RII=0.186), and the Delay of payment for completed work (RII=0.185), are the top factors that are identified. Public complaints on-roads (RII=0.64), Discourages contractors from participating in road maintenance construction (RII=0.512), Loss of clients confidence in consultants and contractors (RII=0.496) are the top three negative outcomes of those factors on management system among seven. The recommended ideas are proper planning and work methodology, consideration of project cost (budget) with material escalation for governmental contractors, on-time payment delivery, the timely updates unit price for the activities, and the staffing allocation in consideration with work experience