ROADS REVIEW
FOR OUR ROADS REVIEW COLUMN THIS MONTH, THE INDUSTRY LEADERS WERE ASKED: ‘WHAT ARE THE KEY TRENDS THE ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE INDUSTRY SHOULD ACCELERATE IN 2022?’
DAVID HALLETT, CEO, IPWEA VICTORIA The key trend we expect is an increased interest in more sustainable road construction. Most of the heavy lifting has been done by the supply-side recently, but the client-side is providing valuable support by initiating pilot projects to trial new products. Recycled rubber, glass, plastics and aggregate are all finding their way into our roads as materials previously considered to be waste products are now seen as a valuable resource. However, innovation isn’t without risk. The challenge for the risk-averse sector is to find ways to share responsibility for product performance, but the returns are significant...not least for our environment.
STEVE VERITY, PRINCIPAL ADVISER IN ASSET MANAGEMENT, IPWEA The COVID 19 pandemic has led to more people moving to regional areas of the country. Some regional communities are experiencing significant growth, placing greater demand on the road and other infrastructure networks. Often when people relocate to a regional area, they tend to bring higher service expectations. Government leaders will likely experience pressure from the community to improve the services they provide. With increasing demand comes competition for scarce resources. Governments should look to optimise expenditure and incorporate best practice asset management including genuine community engagement.
PETER KARTSIDIMAS, DIRECTOR – NETWORKS AND PLANNING, INFRASTRUCTURE VICTORIA We expect the shift to smarter, safer and more sophisticated road network management will gather pace next year. Victoria’s current road network operations technology is underperforming, outdated, and manually intensive to control and review. The Victorian Government’s $340 million Smarter Roads program will optimise traffic signal performance in parts of Melbourne. Expanding the program would improve traffic flow for all modes and potentially unlock extra clearways and dedicated lanes for public transport. Real-time detection of public transport and emergency vehicles would enable better coordination of traffic signals, identification of vulnerable users like pedestrians and cyclists, and incident detection to flexibly reroute traffic. You can read Victoria’s 30-year infrastructure strategy on our website: infrastructurevictoria.com.au
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ROADS DECEMBER 2021
