Prioritization of The Gravel (Unsurfaced) Road Maintenance Using Analytical Hierarchy Process In The Case Of East Hararghe And Arsi Zone, Oromia

Abstract

As a global, Road network maintenance in any country is crucial to infrastructure development. In the context of Ethiopia, the road network is the major means of transportation within the country. Now a day Oromia Roads and Logistics Bureau is failing to maintain the whole road network of the Region as per the schedule and following its damages. Because of this, most roads were in poor condition, causing concern for all vehicle users, as well as delays and accidents on the roads. The Oromia Roads and Logistics Bureau's planners and decision-makers frequently undertook road maintenance without regard for systematic methods. These kinds of arbitrary decisions rarely ensure the effectiveness of budget allocation. Under present financial limits, it is vital to select the most cost effective maintenance system. The primary goal of the research was to prioritize road sections for maintenance utilizing super decision software based on the analytical hierarchy process. The data was collected through a road condition assessment and questionnaires. Using a purposive sampling technique, the study employed only ten typical road sections from the Arsi and East Hararghe road maintenance districts. The study's target population included Ethiopian Roads Administration road maintenance experts, Paragon Consulting Private Limited Company, Oromia Roads and Logistics Bureau, Arsi and East Hararge road maintenance district offices. The road condition survey yielded distress such as improper cross-section, potholes, roadside drainage, dust, rutting, corrugation, and loose gravel. Road class and distress were utilized as criteria and sub-criteria for super decision software to prioritize road sections, while distress extent and severity level were input for the unsurfaced road condition index. The established analytical hierarchy process model functions well and produces suitable output for making informed decisions. The result of Superdecision software indicated that the priority weights of Daraba Samar road were high and received the priority for the maintenance activities, while the other road sections Harawacha-jaja, Kulumsa- Ogolcho, Huruta Dhera, Girawa-Dogu, Harar-Kuyu, Huruta-Ligaba, Ejersarufa-Watar, Gursumkumbi-Jara, and Lukuche Tijo got 2 nds, 3 rd,4 th, 5 th, 6 th,7 th, 8 th 9 th and 10 th priority rankings for maintenance, respectively. Since Super Decision software evaluates multiple variables for decision analysis, it was advised that ORLB road maintenance planners and decision makers employ analytical hierarchy process with Super Decision software to prioritize road section repair.