Pavement - Preservation backlog

2023

Preservation backlog

The preservation backlog includes preservation projects that are due but are not funded and has continued to remain high due to underfunding. As a result, WSDOT's roadway network will not receive the treatments that it needs on time, and road conditions will worsen. The roadways currently overdue for preservation treatments are expected to have worsened to the point where those treatments will not be an option, and more expensive work will be required.

Preservation backlog funding challenges continue

The preservation backlog was updated in 2024 for the 2023 data reporting year to reflect current construction costs. WSDOT's pavement preservation backlog increased from $460 million in 2022 to over $1 billion in 2023. This 117.6% increase was partially due to a calculated cost correction in the backlog. Costs have increased steadily since 2020 and were updated for the 2023 reporting cycle. Had WSDOT used the previous method of calculating costs, the preservation backlog for 2023 would have been $852 million.

Previously calculations:

• $50,000 per lane mile for chip seal (BST) treatments, and
• $250,000 per lane mile for asphalt treatments.

Current calculations:

• $115,000 per lane mile for chip seal treatments, and
• $300,000 per lane mile for asphalt treatments.

Chip seal projects for roads in poor conditions include "pavement repair," which can be costly. Pavement repair is spot treatments for noticeably damaged pavement that won't hold up well if just treated with chip seal (such as potholes, raveling, rutting, dips, etc.). The contractor performs these treatments before the chip seal is performed, identifies these spots, sets up traffic control, and repairs damage—then after all the repairs are done, the chip seal is performed.

When funding is inadequate to maintain pavement in an acceptable condition, WSDOT uses the preservation backlog to indicate the level of investment needed to restore the pavement network to an adequate condition. The amount includes the accumulated cost to fund the backlog of past-due (backlog) pavement rehabilitation work. The goal is to have a backlog of zero.

2022

Preservation backlog

The Deferred Preservation Liability (also known as preservation backlog) is the backlog of preservation projects that are due but are not funded. The DPL remains above $400 million because preservation needs continue to be underfunded. As a result, WSDOT's roadway network will not receive the treatments that it needs on time, and road conditions will worsen. It is expected that the roadways currently overdue for preservation treatments will have worsened to the point where those treatments will not be an option, and more expensive preservation work will be required.

Preservation backlog funding challenges continue

WSDOT's pavement Deferred Preservation Liability decreased 12.2% from $524 million in 2021 to $460 million in 2022. Over the past five years, WSDOT's DPL has increased approximately 9.5% from $420 million in 2018.

As Secretary of Transportation Roger Millar noted in his 2024 State of Transportation presentation to the Legislature, the average annual need to put highways in a State of Good Repair was $1.52 billion. With average annual funding at $495 million, that leaves an annual funding shortfall of $1.02 billion. This marks a 29.8% reduction in average annual funding from what was reported in the 2023 State of Transportation, when the average annual spending—including Moving Ahead Washington transportation package funding—was $705 million. To address this, Millar offered three possible solutions to eliminate the highway preservation backlog:

• A quick ramp up to adequate preservation funding that would require $8.5 billion be spent over the first 10 years. Funding would be at 100% in 19 years, and the total cost with liability would be $24.2 billion.
• A moderate ramp up to adequate preservation funding that would require $5.4 billion be spent in the first 10 years. Funding would be at 100% in 32 years, and the total cost with liability would be $30.7 billion.
• A delayed ramp up to adequate preservation funding would require $4.1 billion be spent in the first 10 years. Additional funds would be needed later in the process and funding would be at 100% in 29 years, but due to the delay the cost with liability would be $33.2 billion.

When funding is inadequate to maintain pavement in an acceptable condition, WSDOT uses Deferred Preservation Liability to indicate the investment that will be needed to restore the pavement network to an adequate condition.

The DPL estimates the accumulated cost to fund the backlog of past-due (deferred) pavement rehabilitation work. The goal is to have a backlog of zero.

2021

Preservation backlog increases

WSDOT's pavement Deferred Preservation Liability (also known as the pavement preservation backlog) increased 9.6% from $478 million in 2020 to $524 million in 2021.

When funding is inadequate to maintain pavement in an acceptable condition, WSDOT uses Deferred Preservation Liability to indicate the investment that will eventually be needed to restore the pavement network to an adequate condition.

The DPL estimates the accumulated cost to fund the backlog of past-due (deferred) pavement rehabilitation work. The goal is to have a DPL of $0.

Over the past five years, WSDOT's DPL has increased approximately 51.5% from $346 million in 2017. The DPL will continue to increase until necessary preservation funding is allocated. While Move Ahead Washington funding will help WSDOT more adequately address its growing backlog of pavement preservation needs, the funding is expected to present challenges such as planning, designing, constructing and staffing. Due to the extensive backlog, the agency does not anticipate immediate results.

2020

WSDOT's preservation backlog increases in 2020

WSDOT's pavement Deferred Preservation Liability (also known as the pavement preservation backlog) increased 35.8% from $352 million in 2019 to $478 million in 2020.

When funding is inadequate to maintain pavement in an acceptable condition, WSDOT uses Deferred Preservation Liability to indicate the investment that will eventually be needed to restore the pavement network to an adequate condition.

The DPL estimates the accumulated cost to fund the backlog of past-due (deferred) pavement rehabilitation work. The goal is to have a DPL of $0. In 2020, WSDOT's DPL had increased approximately 45% from $330 million in 2016. The DPL will continue to increase until adequate preservation funding is allocated.

2019

WSDOT's preservation backlog decreases in 2019

WSDOT's pavement Deferred Preservation Liability (also known as the pavement preservation backlog) decreased by $68 million (16.2%) from $420 million in 2018 to $352 million in 2019. Despite this improvement, the backlog of past-due pavement preservation work remains large, and given current funding levels for preservation, WSDOT expects it to grow in the future.

WSDOT uses DPL to track how much investment is needed to restore the entire pavement network to fair or better condition. The agency's goal is to have a DPL of $0.