Pavement
Highlights
2023
- WSDOT pavement lane miles in fair or better condition improved slightly from 91.2% in 2022 to 91.6% in 2023
- The Remaining Service Life of state-owned pavement increased slightly from 43.9% in 2022 to 44.4% in 2023
- Statewide, 9,644 (52.3%) of the total 18,445 pavement lane miles on state-owned highways were due, past due, or far past due for a preservation project in 2023, increasing from 2022 (43.9%)
2022
- WSDOT pavement lane miles in fair or better condition worsened 2.0 percentage points from 92.0% in 2021 to 90.0% in 2022
- Remaining Service Life of state-owned pavement decreased 4.0 percentage points in 2022, to 43.5%, compared to 47.5% in 2021
- Statewide in 2022, 7,938 (43.1%) of the total 18,420 pavement lane miles on state-owned highways were due or past due for a preservation project
Preservation of the state highway system pavement is like maintenance on a vehicle. The best and most long-lasting vehicles have been serviced regularly, had repairs taken care of on time, and received immediate attention when there is an issue. Pavement is the same in that it lasts longest when preservation projects are performed on time. Preservation can be deferred, but like a vehicle, once it is deferred, the repair costs increase with time.
WSDOT has delayed pavement preservation on some highway sections for over a decade. Statewide, its preservation backlog (also known as Deferred Preservation Liability) decreased 12.2% from $524 million in 2021 to $460 million in 2022, but was 9.5% (approximately $40 million) higher than it was five years ago in 2018.
2021
- WSDOT pavement lane miles in fair or better condition worsened from 93.0% in 2020 to 92.0% in 2021 (chip seal roadways were included in 2021)
- WSDOT's pavement Deferred Preservation Liability increased 9.6% from $478 million in 2020 to $524 million in 2021
- WSDOT estimates it will need up to $112 million annually over the next 24 years for concrete preservation
2020
- WSDOT pavement lane miles in fair or better condition increased slightly from 92.9% in 2019 to 93.0% in 2020, not including chip seal roadways
- COVID-19 restrictions limited WSDOT's data collection for pavement condition to 20%. In a typical year, the agency collects 100% of this data
- WSDOT is not preserving enough pavement to replenish what was used in 2020, repair needs continue to grow
COVID-19 limits WSDOT pavement data collection
WSDOT usually collects pavement condition data for 100% of the state-owned route system. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, WSDOT could only obtain 2020 data for approximately 20% of the lane-miles. The agency's pavement data collection vehicle requires a driver and an operator to safely collect the data, but for a time WSDOT personnel were not allowed in the van within six feet of each other due to COVID-19 safety measures. Most of the data collection was for Washington's interstates—which accounts for approximately 40% of the annual vehicle-miles traveled. Chip seal projects were also not included in 2020 pavement data due to COVID-19 restrictions.
2019
- WSDOT expects to stop preserving pavement on ramps, roads with speed limits below 45 mph, and projected funding levels
- WSDOT pavement lane miles in fair or better condition improved from 91.4% in 2018 to 93.2% in 2019 due to the completion of several the inclusion of chip seal pavement condition data
- Washington is expected to meet NHS pavement condition in 2022, but miss them by 2028
Notes: Due to changes in the pavement management software, some of the data reported for 2022 has since been updated for the 2023 annual reporting cycle.
Pavement background
Due to the Federal Highway Administration's Transportation Performance Management requirements, WSDOT ensures interstate pavement preservation takes priority over other roadways. The emphasis on these heavily traveled strategic freight corridors (which, in some cases, support more than 10 million tons of truck freight per year) can have larger effects on increases and decreases in the percentage of Vehicle Miles Traveled-weighted pavement in fair or better condition.
During the last 15 years, WSDOT's approach to pavement preservation has focused on extending how long its pavement assets remain in fair or better condition.
WSDOT has used low-cost solutions such as applying crack sealant, patching potholes, and applying chip seal (BST) in an effort to keep roads serviceable, but due to decades of chronic underfunding, this strategy is no longer sustainable. Lowest-cost pavement rehabilitation should occur when road surfaces are in fair condition.
Strategic freight corridor classifications
WSDOT classifies highway segments, or corridors, by how much freight travels on them. T-1 freight corridors are the most heavily traveled and see over 10 million tons of truck freight per year. Corridors that see between four million and 10 million tons of truck freight annually are T-2 corridors and corridors that see between 300,000, and four million tons of truck freight annually are T-3 corridors. Both T-1 and T-2 corridors are considered strategic freight corridors under the definition established in RCW 47.06A.020.