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Spring is just around the corner for North Carolina. With more pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists on our sidewalks and roads, the time is right for spring maintenance. It is also the time for infrastructure inspections of transportation corridors and drainage systems.
Brandon Inscore is WithersRavenel’s Practice Area Lead for Funding and Asset Management. In addition to his extensive background in GIS and asset assessment with WithersRavenel, he has 15 years of public sector experience working for the City of Greensboro.
From Brandon’s perspective, it is critical that the infrastructure in a transportation corridor works together. Sidewalks, roadways, drainage systems, and bridges all must function as designed. This ensures the safety of citizens while also extending the life of infrastructure. To keep everything running smoothly, spring is a great time to focus on inspections and public works upkeep.
Culverts and drainage systems
Culverts, boxes, and drainage systems not only carry stormwater, but traffic often runs over them as well – making them vital community assets in multiple ways. Regular inspections are vital for their health, Brandon said. Early identification of structural problems can ensure targeted repairs and work. Addressing issues early prevents minor problems from turning into more expensive repairs or replacements.
Additionally, debris monitoring and regular cleaning of culverts and drainage systems can prevent roadway flooding. Checks can be critical after big storm events to make sure culverts and systems are not undermined. However, a regular spring inspection is a great habit as well. Making sure ditches are properly drained and cleaned is also a best practice in springtime and throughout the year.
“What can I do to extend the life of that asset and make it last for a long time? What are the things that I can do to improve upkeep?” Brandon said. By identifying culvert and drainage issues affecting these important assets before they become large problems, roadway floods and accidents are prevented. This leads to less vehicle accidents and injuries.
Sidewalks, pavement and roadways
Spring, and later summer and fall, brings much heavier pedestrian and cyclist traffic to sidewalks and roadways. In winter, the freeze/thaw cycle can cause damage to sidewalks as sections raise up or as severe cracking or erosion develops. These tripping and falling hazards need to be addressed from a safety and ADA compliance standpoint, Brandon said. Cracks and potholes can also be addressed before they become larger problems. Spring is a great time to take inventory of your municipality pavement and address spot issues that developed over the winter.
The traffic safety aspect of roads and sidewalk inspections should also be addressed. Assure that traffic lights and crossing signals are operating properly and are checked and maintained on a regular basis.
READ MORE: The path forward: How pavement management benefits everyone
Maximizing Your Pavement Budget: An Overview of Efficient Road Asset Management
Fleet Management
An occasionally overlooked aspect of transportation management is a municipality’s fleet, which can include vehicles along with equipment necessary to provide upkeep. Spring and summer equipment, from mowers to trimmers and other devices, are different than winter equipment. From a standpoint of asset management, having a standing work-order system can save money. It also extends the life of these important assets.
“You can program preventive maintenance for your equipment each spring to remind your crew to do it,” Brandon said. “Then it becomes automatic. That way those orders don’t have to be generated by anyone in particular, they just become a regular part of your operations and maintenance planning.”
Developing a culture of asset management
Brandon compares thinking about drainage and transportation assets in a community to thinking about your car.
“It’s like changing the oil at certain increments, the windshield wipers,” he said. “You’re doing the same things for your community assets to make sure they’re in good working order. If it’s something small that you can catch early on, chances are you can keep that from escalating into something bigger down the road.”
Are you looking for more information on inspections, maintenance, and asset management for your drainage systems or transportation corridors? You can reach Brandon at binscore@withersravenel.com.
