Development of a Field Evaluation Guide for Unpaved Rural Roads

The need of local road managers to have a readily accessible reference guide for identifying deficiencies and improving safety on low-volume roads has prompted the development of a field guide for unpaved rural roads. Technical resources are available to evaluate the various aspects of a low-volume road. However, the resources are in numerous publications and not in a single, easy-to-use document. The concept of the field guide is to provide a single reference to assist rural road managers in making on-site evaluations of specific roadway deficiencies. Critical safety issues and unpaved rural road responsibilities vary throughout the United States. A national focus group was used to recognize this variability. A modified Delphi survey procedure was used to facilitate focus group input and review the project. The Wyoming Technology Transfer Center, in cooperation with the FHWA Local Technical Assistance Program, was responsible for development of the guide. Reviewed are the steps and considerations taken in the development of the guide. Developmental techniques, such as input from a national focus group of transportation professionals, were used to successfully complete this project. The methodologies used to develop this guide are applicable and potentially useful for completing other transportation projects worldwide.