Day-to-Day Conservation of roads is dealt with through contracts, referred to as Day-to-Day Conservation Contracts (DCC) which allow the company to provide road maintenance work with a view to maintaining safety conditions and comfort for drivers and avoid infrastructure degradation.

In the case of the High-Performance Network (HPN), these contracts also cover the operating activities for these roads, referred to as Day-to-Day Conservation and Operating Contracts (DCO).

DCC and DCO contracts are a tool which ensures real gains with regard to efficiency in the conservation and maintenance of the road network, thus raising the quality of service provided by the company while also reducing network maintenance costs.

Under these contracts, work is performed to repair and improve surfacing, improve road drainage systems, conserve bridges and viaducts, reposition and enhance signage and other road protection and safety equipment, stabilize embankments and clean shoulders and land adjacent to roads.

In the Conventional Network, vegetation management in areas surrounding roads is carried out so as to ensure driving safety and prevent rural fires. This work is covered by specific individual contracts, due to its specificity and importance.

The option to use this model allows for greater quality in the management of resources, better response capacity with respect to intervention needs and permanent control of results with a view to the ongoing improvement of the quality of service provided to drivers and meeting legal requirements.

Acquired knowledge and the daily commitment by the company are guarantees of strict compliance with the responsibility of maintaining this vast heritage of roadways which are essential for the development of the country.

DCC three-year period 2017-2020 Investment

Operating activity is based around Multiannual Day-to-Day Conservation Contracts, however, this work is complemented by the work of Intervention Teams (ITs).

Work performed by ITs is based on a model of occasional intervention in “Emergency” situations, which is “Preventive or Corrective” and nature and is “non-core” work, which does not fall under systematic and preventive day-to-day conservation.

 

 

 

Periodic Conservation consists of highly complex technical work with the aim of renovating road components, without exceeding the initial characteristics, re-establishing a satisfactory level of service and prolonging the useful life of the road.

This work is undertaken in accordance with priority, based on technical criteria provided by Management Systems, taking into consideration economic rationale, the optimization of human and operating resources and opportunity.

Periodic Conservation is organized into a series of road intervention programs, which include surfacing, geotechnical aspects and special structures as well as road safety.

Road intervention program:

1. Surfacing work - takes place as a result of assessing renovation requirements in accordance with the priority strategy supported by grounds of technical urgency, based on the Quality Index (QI) of roads and confirmed levels of traffic, in compliance with the Proximity Plan.

2. Geotechnical work – takes place as a result of assessing embankment stabilization requirements and possible repositioning of the road platform, and renovation and reinforcement of containment work, based on criteria of technical urgency.

3. Special structure work - takes place as a result of assessing Conservation Status (CS) as part of Main Inspections, allowing existing or potential situations to be resolved which could compromise road infrastructure safety.

Road Safety Program:

1. Occasional work, with a view to eliminating black spots, treating urban crossings and reformulating the geometry of intersections.

2. Network work, with the aim of ensuring equipment renewal though specific contracts for Vertical Signage, Road Markings, Retention Systems, Traffic Lights and Public Road Lighting.

To ensure road safety and compliance with our obligations, IP conducts inspections, surveillance and patrolling of the road network in order to defend the public road domain of the State and support road users.

Network Inspection activity includes the patrolling of roads on a periodic basis, based on a network ranking, assessed through criteria such as Annual Daily Average Traffic (ADAT), commercial activity (Licensing), existing resources and requirements to comply with network service levels. The operation consists of Mobile Inspection and Support Units (MISU) patrolling the network, using routes which cover itineraries consisting of sections of road to be inspected and other sections such as connection routes, indicating the direction and situations to be assessed.

Indicators 2019

In 2019, the MISU covered (18 districts) around the country involving 1 448 908 km of road, corresponding to approximately 730 200 km of network inspected.

The main function of UMIAs is to carry out the ongoing and systematic control of the road network, compiling and recording information on shortcomings or notable events taking place due to unexpected occurrences, which are not the result of normal wear and tear on roads or their components, requiring urgent intervention or signage as they create a hazard for vehicles and the immediate safety of users.

In 2019, this activity resulted in more than 60 000 sightings.

Record of Sightings

LIC - Licensing.
OAPR - Other activities close to the network.
AU - User Support.
POL – Policing.
IEV - Road Inspections.

At the same time, Road Inspection also involves activities associated with road management and operation. Examples of these activities include support for the “Pilgrims” campaign, to help pilgrims walking to Fátima, assistance for Easytoll, and specific campaigns for network asset studies, etc.

Major network conservation and inspection indicators