Research Papers (2009 – 2013)

Filename 57.pdf
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Version 1
Date added April 23, 2014
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Category 2013 CMRSC XXIII Montréal
Tags Session 1A
Author/Auteur Marcos Camacho-Lopez, Erick Acosta-Hernandez, Jenny Chaverri-Jimenz

Abstract

In 2002, seven countries (Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama) signed an agreement to define standards for their international road network. In 2010, in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank, these countries launched development of an investment plan for the International Mesoamerican Corridor on the Pacific side. The 3,244-km corridor runs from Puebla, Mexico, to Panama City, Panama. This investment plan was to prioritize corridor road construction and upgrade for the next five years. The traditional approach to such a project would primarily use the road investment appraisal model HDM4 (pavement analysis). However, the prioritization process included many other components such as road safety, environmental assessment, citizen security (from criminal assault), border control, and international freight transportation. The road safety component included both a road safety review (RSR) performed by Lanamme, University of Costa Rica, and iRAP (International Road Assessment Program). It was demonstrated that both studies were necessary and complementary. During the data collection period, IDB and country governments also ran a campaign to raise local awareness about the importance of road safety. This paper presents the methodology used by the road safety review for the 3,244-km corridor. The iRAP generated a detailed inventory, road safety appraisal and countermeasures limited to the assets of road infrastructure. The RSR was an independent study taking into account road infrastructure, the human factor, road consistency, land use, freight transportation, road geometry, and particular problems of the region with respect to road safety. This RSR also recommended countermeasures for government programs in the short term (maintenance programs), medium term (local road improvement projects), and long term (road construction).

Marcos Camacho-Lopez, Erick Acosta-Hernandez, Jenny Chaverri-Jimenz