Challenges of Road Asset Management: Road Maintenance, Techniques, Materials, and Methods

Due to institutional inefficiencies, environmental factors, and budgetary limitations, road asset management in Africa is extremely difficult. Although the continent's transportation system is essential for economic expansion; however, poor maintenance practices cause infrastructure to deteriorate quickly. The literature on road maintenance methods, materials, and procedures utilized in African road asset management is reviewed (in general), and primary data from the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) database are used (as a case study) in this study. It was highlighted that obstacles such as inadequate funding, lack of technical competence, and poor data collection were the main challenges while examining best practices. Countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda were x-rayed in this study; recent advances in road asset management were equally explored to highlight ways to improve road asset management in Africa. To improve road asset management, the following key areas are to be considered: Policy and Institutional Reforms, Capacity Building and Training, Adoption of Innovative Technologies, Private Sector Participation, Sustainable Funding Mechanisms, Comprehensive Data Collection and Management. The results indicated that enhancing road asset management calls for coordinated strategies that incorporate cutting-edge maintenance methods, sustainable materials, and strong regulatory enforcement.