Toward Sustainable Management of Low-Volume Roads in Chile

Abstract

In the past two decades, Chile has undergone a series of economic and social improvements that have put the country a few steps ahead toward development. For example, Chile has reduced poverty levels by more than 50% in less than 20 years. It is widely recognized that increasing the access of the population to basic services such as health and education is a key factor influencing development. The provision of low-volume roads (LVRs) is essential to offering that access, which should also rely on proper levels of service through sustainable management. The objective of this keynote is to describe Chile's main experiences concerning sustainable management of the LVR network and the challenges Chile will face in the future. Chile's experience with the LVR network can serve as an example for other developing countries in the same way that the country's implementation of the concession model (or public–private partnerships) did for its system of main highways a few years ago.