KEY SUCCESS FACTORS IN ROAD MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT PROJECTS (A CASE STUDY OF MAYSAN PROVINCE, IRAQ)

Developing roads is a crucial and essential activity, but maintaining them regularly is equally important to improve their performance. A well-maintained road network facilitates economic, industrial, cultural, and social growth. Once the construction phase of a road is complete, its operating phase commences, which is subject to wear and tear due to various factors like traffic and weather conditions. Hence, regular and continuous road maintenance activities are essential to increase the useful life of roads and manage national resources effectively. However, road maintenance management in Iraq, particularly in the province of Maysan, is suffering from poor performance due to the absence of an effective maintenance management system. Therefore, this research aims to identify the critical success factors of road maintenance projects, with a focus on the Maysan province as a case study of Iraq. The study identified and analyzed 27 key success factors in road maintenance projects, which were classified into three groups: management, technical, and resources. Based on the analysis of the literature review and field study in Maysan province, the top five key success factors were determined to be: 1. Adequate funds; 2. Timely payment to contractor and employees; 3. Quality of materials; 4. Use of advanced technology to detect or evaluate road defects; and 5. Communication and coordination among parties.