The objective of this paper was to develop a dynamic-programming procedure by using economic analyses to assist in optimizing expenditures in pavementresurfacing programs. Benefit relationships were determined from expected accident reduction, improved comfort, and savings in time, fuel, and maintenance. The only: cost input to the program was the resurfacing cost of each project. Dynamic programming was adapted to the selection of projects for rBsurfacing in Kentucky. More than $8.4 million of additional user benefits would have been realized in 1976 if dynamic programming had been used in selecting projects. The benefit/cost ratio of sections selected for resurfacing by the current procedures was 3.21 compared with one of 4.22 if dynamic programming had been used.

Various management procedures and strategies may be employed to select and rank pavements for resurfacing. Subjective visual evaluations and objective measurements may be used alone or in combination. Sophisticated methods consider pavement roughness, skid resistance, traffic volume, and accidents in an economic analysis. Selection processes based on economic analyses have obvious advantages over other methods. Also, recourse to a computer is necessary for the analysis and ranking when more than a few projects and alternatives exist. A technique termed" dynamic programming" performs this task. The accuracy, however, depends on the accuracy of the benefit and cost values assigned to each element included in the analysis.