Minnesota DOT | Spending Transportation Money Wisely

Making the right fix at the right time

Household maintenance

We all have things in our life that require maintenance, like a house, car, bicycle or garden. Sometimes all it needs is little fix just to get by and sometimes it needs much more work.

Transportation maintenance

Just like you, we have to decide when to do which kind of fix. We do this using a tool called a Life Cycle Cost Analysis.

Photograph showing household maintenance

Photograph showing transportation maintenance

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The lifecycle of a road

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Minnesota's transportation system is made up of many parts

Roads, bridges, sidewalks, trails, buses, signs, lights and more help us move around Minnesota. All of these things need to be maintained. When making decisions, engineers and planners have to think about all parts of the system. However, to make it easier to explain a Life Cycle Cost Analysis, let’s just focus on one – roads, specifically the pavement.

Click Next to learn more about the life cycle of a road.

This timeline generalizes the lifecycle of a road in Minnesota.

0 years

A Road is Born!

This brand new road gives drivers and riders a smooth ride. But with traffic, heavy trucks, cold winters and hot summers, we’ll soon start to see some wear and tear.

Keeping the Road Smooth

Cracks, bumps and potholes can make for a bumpy ride and impact safety. MnDOT makes small fixes to keep the road surface smooth.

Maintaining Good Condition

As the road continues to age, bigger fixes are needed to keep the road surface in good condition or better.

Keeping the Road Smooth

Cracks, bumps and potholes can make for a bumpy ride and impact safety. MnDOT makes small fixes to keep the road surface smooth.

Maintaining Good Condition

As the road continues to age, bigger fixes are needed to keep the road surface in good condition or better.

Keeping the Road Smooth

Cracks, bumps and potholes can make for a bumpy ride and impact safety. MnDOT makes small fixes to keep the road surface smooth.

The Sunset Years

As the road nears old age, it becomes harder to maintain a good roadway condition. Fixes may need to be larger or more frequent. During these later years, MnDOT starts to plan for reconstructing the roadway.

Remaining Value

Our life cycle cost analysis looks at how much it cost to build and maintain the road over 70 years. However, many roads will last longer before they need to be reconstructed. We analyze this by calculating a remaining value.

Learn About Three Maintenance Approaches

How would you maintain the road?

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Explore Maintenance Approaches

To spend money wisely, MnDOT looks to make the right fix at the right time to keep the road surface in good condition and reduce the overall maintenance costs throughout the life of the road. Explore the approaches below to see how maintenance decisions impact the road condition and total costs over time.

Minimum Maintenance Approach

Make the smallest fix possible to maintain a fair to good road surface most of the time.

Explore this approach

Pros:

Each fix costs less
Smaller fixes are easier to put into yearly budgets
Smaller fixes impact traffic less

Cons:

Results in larger, expensive and disruptive fixes as the road deteriorates and requires rehabilitation
Periods of fair or poor road surface condition occur and it never gets back to very good
Costs the most overall of all three approaches

Balanced Maintenance Approach

Focus on maintaining a good road surface most of the time by getting the most out of each fix. This is MnDOT's current guidance.

Explore this approach

Pros:

Maintains a mostly good, sometimes excellent, road surface condition
Avoids large, costly and disruptive rehabilitation projects
Cost the least overall of all three approaches

Cons:

Requires more frequent medium projects, leading to more frequent traffic disruption
Funding is not always available in yearly budgets to pay for medium fixes

Proactive Maintenance Approach

Focus on maintaining the best road surface as possible by applying proactive fixes before there are problems.

Explore this approach

Pros:

Maintains a good to excellent road surface condition at all times
Avoids large, costly and disruptive rehabilitation projects
Cost less overall than the minimum maintenance approach

Cons:

Requires more frequent medium and small projects, leading to more frequent traffic disruption
Funding is not always available in yearly budgets to pay for medium fixes
Requires projects when the pavement is still in good condition, which can be hard to select when other pavement is in fair or poor condition

How would you maintain the road?

Back Back

Minimum Maintenance Approach

Make the smallest fix possible to maintain a fair to good road surface most of the time.

The Minimum Approach

0 years

At the Beginning

The new road starts out with excellent surface condition.

Very Good

Initial life cycle cost: 470000

Reactive Fixes

We hold off making any fixes until year 13. However, almost every year for the next seven years we need to make small, reactive fixes like patching potholes.

Good

Cost of individual fix: 1500

Good

Cost of individual fix: 1500

Fair

Cost of individual fix: 1500

Fair

Cost of individual fix: 1500

Fair

Cost of individual fix: 1500

Reactive Fixes

At year 19, we continue to make small, reactive fixes for one more year but the roadway condition worsens.

Fair

Cost of individual fix: 2000

Bigger Repair

At year 20, the roadway surface drops to poor condition and a bigger repair like resurfacing the road is needed to make the condition good again.

Poor

Cost of individual fix: 185000

Reactive Fixes

After the bigger repair at year 20, we hold off making any fixes for another 13 years. However, almost every year for the next seven years we need to make small, reactive fixes like patching potholes.

Good

Cost of individual fix: 1000

Fair

Cost of individual fix: 1000

Fair

Cost of individual fix: 1000

Fair

Cost of individual fix: 1000

Reactive Fixes

At years 38 and 39, we continue to make small, reactive fixes but the roadway condition worsens again.

Fair

Cost of individual fix: 1500

Fair

Cost of individual fix: 1500

Bigger Repair

At year 40, the roadway surface drops to poor condition and another bigger repair like resurfacing the road is needed to make the condition good again.

Poor

Cost of individual fix: 145000

Reactive Fixes

After the bigger repair at year 40, we hold off making any fixes for another 13 years. However, almost every year for the next seven years we need to make small, reactive fixes like patching potholes.

Good

Cost of individual fix: 750

Fair

Cost of individual fix: 750

Fair

Cost of individual fix: 750

Fair

Cost of individual fix: 750

Reactive Fixes

At years 58 and 59, we continue to make small, reactive fixes but the roadway condition worsens again.

Fair

Cost of individual fix: 1000

Fair

Cost of individual fix: 1000

Bigger Repair

At year 60, the roadway surface drops to poor condition and another bigger repair like resurfacing the road is needed to make the condition good again.

Poor

Cost of individual fix: 110000

In the End

Because of the bigger fix we made at year 60, the road still has some life left in it at the end of our 70 year analysis. This amount is subtracted from all the costs to give us our total life cycle cost.

Good

Summary

Because of the bigger fix we made at year 60, the road still has some life left in it at the end of our 70 year analysis. This amount is subtracted from all the costs to give us our total life cycle cost.

Final Road Condition: Good

Remaining value at 70 years: -50000

The dollar amounts shown here are costs for one mile of one lane of road. They are illustrative and will vary in real life.

Select this approach

Road surface conditions

Hover over each to see a description of each condition

Poor

A surface with frequent cracks, bumps or potholes, and faded striping.

Fair

A mostly smooth surface with some minor cracking, the occasional pothole and usually clear striping.

Good

A nice smooth surface with minimal cracks, bumps or potholes, and fresh striping.

Very Good

A nice smooth surface with no cracks, bumps or potholes, and fresh striping.

Pros:

Each fix costs less

Smaller fixes are easier to put into yearly budgets

Smaller fixes impact traffic less

Cons:

Results in larger, expensive and disruptive fixes as the road deteriorates and requires rehabilitation

Periods of fair or poor road surface condition occur and it never gets back to very good

Costs the most overall of all three approaches

STATEWIDE SCALE:

This cost is for just one mile of one lane of roadway. Did you know? MnDOT has nearly 30,000 lane miles to care for and there are even more county, city and township roads in Minneosta. We also do a similar analysis for bridges, sidewalks, trails, buses, signs, lights and more!

Return to the Street Smart System Homepage

Balanced Maintenance Approach

Focus on maintaining a good road surface most of the time by getting the most out of each fix. This is MnDOT's current guidance.

The Balanced Approach

0 years

At the Beginning

The new road starts out with excellent surface condition.

Very Good

Initial life cycle cost: 470000

Minor Maintenance

At years eight and 12, we do small maintenance projects like filling cracks and sealing to keep the road in good condition.

Good

Cost of individual fix: 2500

Good

Cost of individual fix: 15000

Bigger Maintenance

At year 20, while the road is still in good condition, we do a bigger maintenance project like resurfacing the road to keep it from getting worse.

Fair

Cost of individual fix: 130000

Minor Maintenance

The bigger maintenance project at year 20 improves the road condition. At years 23 and 27, we do small maintenance projects like filling cracks and sealing to keep a good condition.

Very Good

Cost of individual fix: 2500

Good

Cost of individual fix: 15000

Bigger Maintenance

At year 37, while the road is still in good condition, we do a bigger maintenance project like resurfacing the road to keep it from getting worse.

Fair

Cost of individual fix: 100000

Minor Maintenance

The bigger maintenance project at year 37 improves the road condition. At years 40 and 44, we do small maintenance projects like filling cracks and sealing to keep a good condition.

Very Good

Cost of individual fix: 1500

Good

Cost of individual fix: 10000

Bigger Maintenance

At year 54, while the road is still in good condition, we do a bigger maintenance project like resurfacing the road to keep it from getting worse.

Fair

Cost of individual fix: 80000

Minor Maintenance

The bigger maintenance project at year 54 improves the road condition. At years 57 and 61, we do small maintenance projects like filling cracks and sealing to keep a good condition.

Very Good

Cost of individual fix: 1500

Good

Cost of individual fix: 7500

Bigger Maintenance

At year 70, while the road is still in good condition, we do a bigger maintenance project like resurfacing the road to keep it from getting worse.

Fair

Cost of Individual Fix: 65000

In The End

Because of the bigger maintenance we did at year 70, the road still has some life left in it at the end of our analysis. This amount is subtracted from all the costs to give us our total life cycle cost.

Good

Summary

Because of the bigger maintenance we did at year 70, the road still has some life left in it at the end of our analysis. This amount is subtracted from all the costs to give us our total life cycle cost.

Final Road Condition: Good

Remaining value at 70 years: -60000

The dollar amounts shown here are costs for one mile of one lane of road. They are illustrative and will vary in real life.

Select this approach

Road surface conditions

Hover over each to see a description of each condition

Poor

A surface with frequent cracks, bumps or potholes, and faded striping.

Fair

A mostly smooth surface with some minor cracking, the occasional pothole and usually clear striping.

Good

A nice smooth surface with minimal cracks, bumps or potholes, and fresh striping.

Very Good

A nice smooth surface with no cracks, bumps or potholes, and fresh striping.

Pros:

Maintains a mostly good, sometimes excellent, road surface condition

Avoids large, costly and disruptive rehabilitation projects

Cost the least overall of all three approaches

Cons:

Requires more frequent medium projects, leading to more frequent traffic disruption

Funding is not always available in yearly budgets to pay for medium fixes

STATEWIDE SCALE:

This cost is for just one mile of one lane of roadway. Did you know? MnDOT has nearly 30,000 lane miles to care for and there are even more county, city and township roads in Minneosta. We also do a similar analysis for bridges, sidewalks, trails, buses, signs, lights and more!

Return to the Street Smart System Homepage

Proactive Maintenance Approach

Focus on maintaining the best road surface as possible by applying proactive fixes before there are problems.

The Proactive Approach

0 years

At the Beginning

The new road starts out with excellent surface condition.

Very Good

Initial life cycle cost: 470000

Proactive Maintenance

Starting at year 2, we do proactive small and mid-size maintenance projects like filling cracks, sealing and small surface fixes to keep the road in good condition or better.

Very Good

Cost of individual fix: 15000

Good

Cost of individual fix: 3000

Good

Cost of individual fix: 45000

Good

Cost of individual fix: 2500

Bigger Maintenance

At year 23, while the road is still in good condition, we do a bigger maintenance project like resurfacing the road to keep it from getting worse.

Good

Cost of individual fix: 75000

Very Good

Cost of individual fix: 2000

Very Good

Cost of individual fix: 10000

Good

Cost of individual fix: 20000

Bigger Maintenance

At year 38, while the road is still in good condition, we do a bigger maintenance project like resurfacing the road to keep it from getting worse.

Good

Cost of individual fix: 100000

Proactive Maintenance

Starting again at year 41, we do occassional proactive small and mid-size maintenance projects like filling cracks, sealing and small surface fixes to keep the road in good condition or better.

Very Good

Cost of individual fix: 2000

Good

Cost of individual fix: 10000

Good

Cost of individual fix: 30000

Good

Cost of individual fix: 1500

Bigger Maintenance

At year 57, while the road is still in good condition, we do a bigger maintenance project like resurfacing the road to keep it from getting worse.

Good

Cost of individual fix: 50000

Proactive Maintenance

Starting again at year 59, we do occassional proactive small and mid-size maintenance projects like filling cracks, sealing and small surface fixes to keep the road in good condition or better.

Very Good

Cost of individual fix: 1500

Very Good

Cost of individual fix: 7500

Good

Cost of individual fix: 15000

Bigger Repair

At year 69, while the road is still in good condition, we do a bigger repair project like resurfacing the road to keep it in excellent condition.

Good

Cost of individual fix: 75000

In the End

Because of the bigger repair we did at year 69, the road still has some life left in it at the end of our 70 year analysis. This amount is subtracted from all the costs to give us our total life cycle cost.

Very Good

Summary

Because of the bigger repair we did at year 69, the road still has some life left in it at the end of our 70 year analysis. This amount is subtracted from all the costs to give us our total life cycle cost.

Final Road Condition: Good

Remaining value at 70 years: -60000

The dollar amounts shown here are costs for one mile of one lane of road. They are illustrative and will vary in real life.

Select this approach

Road surface conditions

Poor

A surface with frequent cracks, bumps or potholes, and faded striping.

Fair

A mostly smooth surface with some minor cracking, the occasional pothole and usually clear striping.

Good

A nice smooth surface with minimal cracks, bumps or potholes, and fresh striping.

Very Good

A nice smooth surface with no cracks, bumps or potholes, and fresh striping.

Pros:

Maintains a good to excellent road surface condition at all times

Avoids large, costly and disruptive rehabilitation projects

Cost less overall than the minimum maintenance approach

Cons:

Requires more frequent medium and small projects, leading to more frequent traffic disruption

Funding is not always available in yearly budgets to pay for medium fixes

Requires projects when the pavement is still in good condition, which can be hard to select when other pavement is in fair or poor condition

STATEWIDE SCALE:

This cost is for just one mile of one lane of roadway. Did you know? MnDOT has nearly 30,000 lane miles to care for and there are even more county, city and township roads in Minneosta. We also do a similar analysis for bridges, sidewalks, trails, buses, signs, lights and more!

Return to the Street Smart System Homepage

Spending Transportation Money Wisely

Making the right fix at the right time

Household maintenance

Transportation maintenance

The lifecycle of a road

Minnesota's transportation system is made up of many parts

A Road is Born!

Keeping the Road Smooth

Maintaining Good Condition

Keeping the Road Smooth

Maintaining Good Condition

Keeping the Road Smooth

The Sunset Years

Remaining Value

Learn About Three Maintenance Approaches

How would you maintain the road?

Explore Maintenance Approaches

Minimum Maintenance Approach

Pros:

Cons:

Balanced Maintenance Approach

Pros:

Cons:

Proactive Maintenance Approach

Pros:

Cons:

How would you maintain the road?

Minimum Maintenance Approach

The Minimum Approach

At the Beginning

Reactive Fixes

Reactive Fixes

Reactive Fixes

Reactive Fixes

Reactive Fixes

Reactive Fixes

Bigger Repair

Reactive Fixes

Reactive Fixes

Reactive Fixes

Reactive Fixes

Reactive Fixes

Reactive Fixes

Bigger Repair

Reactive Fixes

Reactive Fixes

Reactive Fixes

Reactive Fixes

Reactive Fixes

Reactive Fixes

Bigger Repair

In the End

Summary

Total life cycle cost:

Compare to:

Balanced

Proactive

Pros:

Cons:

STATEWIDE SCALE:

Balanced Maintenance Approach

The Balanced Approach

At the Beginning

Minor Maintenance

Minor Maintenance

Bigger Maintenance

Minor Maintenance

Minor Maintenance

Bigger Maintenance

Minor Maintenance

Minor Maintenance

Bigger Maintenance

Minor Maintenance

Minor Maintenance

Bigger Maintenance

In The End

Summary

Total life cycle cost:

Compare to:

Minimum