This dashboard shows changes in road construction prices over time using the ABS producer price index. Data is available for Australia and selected states.

This report discusses the economics of road maintenance. It develops analytical approaches to help ensure that road expenditure is used in the most efficient and cost-effective manner both in terms of dividing funds between construction and maintenance and allocation of maintenance funds between locations, treatment types and treatment timing. The focus is on the impact of timely and adequate maintenance expenditure on the overall costs to society — that is, costs to road agencies, road users and externalities. The analytical approach and case studies demonstrate the potential costs of delayed or deferred maintenance expenditure, which can result in much higher overall costs, reinforcing the adage: ‘a stitch in time save nine’. The report also provides a computer modelling approach to optimising road maintenance expenditure over time so as to minimise the overall cost to society, without and with constraints on road agency spending levels.

• BITRE-Economics-of-road-maintenance-december-2023.pdf
  (4.12 MB)

This report benchmarks the costs of road construction and the timeliness of infrastructure procurement processes for projects undertaken by states and territories since 2015. BITRE undertook the analysis under the guidance of the Infrastructure Working Group of the Transport and Infrastructure Council. Road construction costs include total project costs and key cost components such as construction and project management. The procurement timeliness benchmarks cover all stages of procurement from the initial notice of the project to financial completion. This report is an update of the Transport and Infrastructure Council's 2015 Infrastructure Benchmarking Report and contributes to the goal of improving value for money in infrastructure investment.

• Road construction cost and infrastructure procurement benchmarking: 2017 update
  
  rr148.pdf
  (1.87 MB)

Well-managed, modern and functioning infrastructure underpins much of the economic prosperity of Australia. It is thus crucial that Australia's infrastructure keeps up with the needs of the community.

While some infrastructure asset types, namely public roads and airports, have made significant progress in performance measurement, for others there is a dearth of information or public engagement. The patchwork approach that has resulted means that Australia may be missing out on the potential benefits of consistent and widespread performance measurement: improved accountability, incentivised performance, and better performance evaluation. This report introduces and explores many of the issues surrounding infrastructure performance measurement that should be considered in the context of providing greater consistency across infrastructure asset types.

• Measuring infrastructure asset performance and customer satisfaction: A review of existing frameworks
  
  rr_147.pdf
  (1.81 MB)

This information sheet presents estimates of Kilometres and lane-kilometres of road length for Australian States and Territories back to 1910. It provides the same data for Metropolitan Australia back to 1910, and for individual cities back to 1970.

It also introduces the concept of value equivalent lane-kilometres, where lane-kilometres for different road types are weighted by current value estimates.

The latter concept allows a clearer picture of the growth in the value of Australian road infrastructure over time–which is substantial.

• Growth in the Australian Road System
  
  is_092.pdf
  (920.01 KB)

Road transport technologies are evolving rapidly. Recent years have seen the expansion of intelligent transport systems (ITS), such as ramp metering and signal coordination, and low-level vehicle automation. In coming years, communication platforms will connect vehicles, thereby enabling Cooperative-ITS (C-ITS) technologies, such as collision avoidance systems. Car manufacturers and technology companies are actively developing fully automated vehicles. This report summarises estimates of the costs and benefits of ITS, C-ITS and automated vehicles from the existing Australian and international literature. It also provides policy makers with guidance on what further research would improve understanding of the implications of these technologies under Australian conditions.

• Costs and benefits of emerging road transport technologies
  
  research-report-146-emerging-road-transport-technologies.pdf
  (2.54 MB)

This Information Sheet presents the quarterly road construction and maintenance price index for the year 2014–15. Additionally, it presents sub-indexes by activity type for road construction and road maintenance, and by road type for arterial, sealed local and unsealed local roads.

• BITRE road construction and maintenance price index–2015 update
  
  is_072.pdf
  (276.77 KB)

This Information Sheet presents the quarterly Road Construction and Maintenance Price Index figures for the year 2013–14. Additionally, it presents sub-indexes by activity type for road maintenance and road construction, and by road type for local sealed, local unsealed, and arterial roads.

• BITRE Road Construction and Maintenance Price Index–2014 update
  
  is_064.pdf
  (809.91 KB)

This information sheet presents the 2013 re-calibrated BITRE Road Construction and Maintenance Price Index and Sub-Indexes. The revised index is an indicator of the change in input costs faced by the road construction and maintenance industry in Australia. The sub-indexes show the change in road costs by road types and road works activities.

• BITRE Road Construction and Maintenance Price Index and Sub-Indexes–2013 update
  
  is_049.pdf
  (747.92 KB)

This publication provides the 2012 update of BITRE's Road Construction and Maintenance Price Index.

• BITRE Road Construction and Maintenance Price Index–2012 update
  
  is_045.pdf
  (821.38 KB)