In Singapore all roads are maintained at fixed intervals so they last their intended life spans. Typically, expressways are resurfaced every three to five years, major roads every five to 10 years, minor roads every 10 to 20 years, and residential roads every 30 to 40 years.
The $90 million yearly bill does not include the cost of digging up of roads to lay or repair cables, pipes and other buried infrastructure and then repaving them. This cost is borne by the agencies which carry out these works, of which there are more than 8,000 a year. Commenting on the road maintenance bill, Government Parliamentary Committee chairman for Transport Lim Wee Kiak said more cars add up to more wear and tear on the roads.
'Keeping our roads in tip-top condition to ensure safety is paramount, regardless of maintenance cost,' he said.
And he added that underground roads are 'definitely worth the higher cost, as they free up precious land resources and reduce noise and dust'.
More can be done, however, to avoid 'digging and re digging of our roads within short periods', he said.
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Feb 15, 2010
12 killed in Philippines crash
MANILA - POLICE say a truck blew a tire and smashed head-on into a minibus in the southern Philippines killing 12 people.
Cagayan Valley police director Roberto Damian says the tractor-trailer was traveling at high speed on Monday when one of its tires burst, causing the driver to lose control and veer into the opposite lane.
The truck driver survived the crash but the driver of the minibus was killed.
Poor vehicle maintenance and bad roads are blamed for many traffic accidents in the Philippines. -- AP
