Guidelines for Integrating Safety and Cost-Effectiveness into Resurfacing, Restoration, and Rehabilitation (3R) Projects

Prior to 1976, federal highway funds could only be used for the construction of new highways or the reconstruction of existing highways. The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1976 allowed the use of federal aid for resurfacing, restoration, and rehabilitation (3R) projects on federal-aid highways. However, in 1976 there were no standards for 3R improvements.

The TRB National Cooperative Highway Research Program's NCHRP Research Report 876: Guidelines for Integrating Safety and Cost-Effectiveness into Resurfacing, Restoration, and Rehabilitation (3R) Projects presents a rational approach for estimating the cost-effectiveness of including safety and operational improvements in a resurfacing, restoration, or rehabilitation (3R) project.

The approach uses the performance of the existing road in estimating the benefits and cost-effectiveness of proposed design improvements. These guidelines are intended to replace TRB Special Report 214: Designing Safer Roads: Practices for Resurfacing, Restoration, and Rehabilitation.

Supplemental materials include NCHRP Web-Only Document 244: Developing Guidelines for Integrating Safety and Cost-Effectiveness into Resurfacing, Restoration, and Rehabilitation (3R) Projects. Two spreadsheet tools for benefit–cost analysis in support of design decisions for 3R projects also accompany the report. Spreadsheet Tool 1 is a tool for analysis of a single design alternative or combination of alternatives. Spreadsheet Tool 2 is a tool for comparison of several design alternatives or combinations of alternatives.