Research consultancy

EXPLORING THE INTEGRATION OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS) IN THE OPTIMIZATION OF HIGHWAY PLANNING AND

MAINTENANCE STRATEGIES: A CASE STUDY OF UGANDA

NATIONAL ROADS AUTHORITY (UNRA)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background of the Study

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) encompass the acquisition, storage, examination, and presentation of spatial data. By incorporating diverse data types, such as geographical, demographic, and environmental information, GIS serves as a comprehensive platform for comprehending intricate interactions within highway systems (Zhao, Mbachu, & Liu, 2022). The spatial intelligence provided by GIS is a pivotal element for optimizing planning and maintenance strategies (Le & Jeong, 2022), Over the last two decades, GIS technology has transformed into a valuable tool for global transportation planning  (Subedi, Chou, & Williams, 2022).

In effort for countries globally to adopt GIS into their system there is an increased investment in information technology globally to ensure the success of GIS currently the expenditure is at 5 trillion dollars while individual countries like united states spend 74 billion dollars on IT related services to support the implementation of GIS technology, the increased investments into supportive infrastructure for GIS technology is increasing globally.  Planning is a complex and multidimensional process which requires re-thinking of traditional approaches (Rajaduraj & Vilventhan, 2022) . Planning involves procedures to identify future transportation needs and recommending solutions in the long- to midterm timeframes. This includes developing transportation strategies which consider transportation investments and addresses strategic issues at the local, state and network level (Zhao, Liu, & Mbachu, 2019).

The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991 and the Transportation Equity Act (TEA-21) of 1998 mandated transportation agencies to leverage information technologies, integrate more directly with land use, and broaden transportation options, among other requirements (Zhao B. , 2022) , The application of GIS for transportation (GIS-T) in planning is typically observed through scenario modeling to forecast the impacts of potential policy changes  (Le & Jeong, 2022).

Geographic Information Systems for Transportation have evolved into one of the most effective tools for researching, planning, and managing transportation  (Subedi, Chou, & Williams, 2022), In the early 1970s, pioneers at the University of Washington and Northwestern University laid the foundation for GIS in transportation. However, it wasn’t until the late 1980s that GIS-T gained prominence in mainstream literature as a significant field within GIS applications (Elhashash, Albanwan, & Qin, 2022). Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have become an important tool for engineers involved in highway planning and maintenance in Africa, offering numerous benefits in this field (Elhaji & Ochieng, 2021).

In Africa, many application of GIS in transportation planning is public transit networking and routing (Aravind, Chkravarty, Chandra, & Balamuralida, 2017), In some of the scenarios, Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) has always applied different GIS-T applications in planning for the City especially in highway maintenance, accident analysis, traffic modeling and route planning for most the Highways across Kampala  (Owusu & Essandoh, 2018).

Most of the GIS-T applications that UNRA uses; are enormous, including; infrastructure planning and management, transportation safety analysis, travel demand analysis, traffic monitoring and control, public transit planning and operations and environmental impacts assessment (Kayondo-ndhandiko, Bax, & Togboa, 2010).

In South Africa, the Department of Transport used GIS to support the planning and design of a new highway linking Johannesburg and Durban (Eria & Marikannan, 2019). GIS was used to assess the feasibility of different route options, taking into account factors such as cost, time, and environmental and social impacts. The resulting highway was designed to minimize impacts on sensitive ecosystems and local communities, and to provide efficient and safe transportation for travelers (Anselin, 2019).

In Kenya, the National Transport and Safety Authority used GIS to map road accident hotspots and develop strategies to improve road safety. By integrating data on road accidents with data on road design, traffic patterns, and weather conditions, the Authority was able to identify areas with high rates of accidents and prioritize safety improvements (Elhaji & Ochieng, 2021). In Nigeria, the Federal Road Maintenance Agency used GIS to manage and monitor the condition of roads throughout the country. By integrating data on road conditions with data on maintenance activities, the Agency was able to track the wear and tear on road surfaces and plan repairs more effectively. This helped to improve the overall condition of the road network, and to provide safer and more reliable transportation for road users (Abou-shaara, Al-Ghamdi, & Mohamed, 2013).

In Uganda, GIS has been used by engineers under the public transport authorities such as Ministry of Works & Transport and UNRA to manage, analyze and visualize large amounts of spatial and attribute data related to highway planning and maintenance (Atwongyeire, et al., 2022).

This helps enable engineers to make informed decisions about the design and construction of highways, as well as the ongoing maintenance and management of these infrastructure assets (Elhaji & Ochieng, 2021), For example, in the secondary phase of road maintenance GIS is used to analyze accident data and identify high-risk areas for road accidents. GIS is used to map accident hotspots, and to identify factors such as road design, traffic patterns, and weather conditions that contribute to accidents. With this information, the authorities are able to prioritize safety improvements, such as adding barriers, signs, or lighting, and to reduce the risk of accidents for drivers (Deka, 2020).

The challenges faced in the integration of GIS for highway planning and maintenance in Uganda are multi-faceted, encompassing issues related to data infrastructure, financial constraints, technological capacity, data accuracy, and institutional frameworks (Odongo, 2017). Addressing these challenges is crucial for unlocking the full potential of GIS in optimizing highway strategies and, consequently, enhancing transportation infrastructure in the country.

Acquiring and implementing GIS technology requires a significant financial investment. Uganda also faces budget constraints, making it challenging to invest in GIS infrastructure, software licenses, and training programs and insufficient technology infrastructure, including limited internet connectivity and access to modern computing resources, impede the deployment and use of GIS technologies (Watson, et al., 2021). Lastly shortage of skilled professionals with expertise in GIS technology and its applications and lack of the institutional capacity to establish and sustain

1.2. Statement of the Problem.

Transportation interaction patterns can greatly vary between different geographic areas and different land use cases. it is therefore important for transportation planners to identify the spatio-temporal patterns underlying complex social and geographic considerations for effective road planning and maintenance. As a result, recent efforts have been directed towards developing tools and techniques that Engineers, scientists and practitioners in road planning and maintenance can use to tackle these challenges and support planning and decision-making processes (Reddy, 2021). Despite the potential benefits of GIS in addressing gaps in road planning and maintenance, its full potential has not been realized due to several hindrances in its adaptation, use, and management. These hindrances are mainly attributed to factors such as cost, people’s perceptions, and the availability of data, which have limited the ability to fully harness the potential of GIS technology in Road planning and maintenance. In the case of UNRA, highway planning and maintenance has not been very effective despite the application of GIS for Transportation in its processes (UNRA Annual Report, 2020). This, as evidenced in the planning of Kampala Northern Bypass Highway for example; the opportunity for “changed conditions”. There are numerous; cracks, potholes, debris, water accumulated, faded traffic signs, poor Inspection of bridges and other structures for signs of wear, corrosion, or damage. Limited Repairs and maintenance of bridge components, such as decks, abutments, and support structures and lastly there has been more flooding of most parts of the Kampala Northern Bypass Highway specifically in the areas of Bwaise, Kalerwe and Busega parts of the Highway, this poses many questions on the maintenance strategies of the Highway. Cases like this are mainly due to data limitations concerning topography, land cover, and land use pertinent to the consideration of the impact of road construction. Moreover, the little that there is a lack of integration since transportation planning and maintenance consists of many individual modules i.e. highway construction, rerouting, traffic operations planning, and other similar modules. which all contribute to effective road planning and maintenance. According to  (Deka, 2020) in most organizations, the case of Geographic Information System (GIS) groups are divided into distinct functions that operate separately with different physical locations, budgets, leaders, functional roles, and work cultures as the case often is in many road planning and maintenance organizations, poses challenges in terms of coordination and knowledge sharing. Additionally, the high cost of GIS software and hardware makes it challenging for engineers, particularly in countries with limited resources for infrastructure development and maintenance, to adopt this technology. As a result, these factors limit the potential benefits of GIS in these organizations and hinder progress toward efficient and effective decision-making processes.

The other challenge faced in the use of GIS in highway planning and maintenance is the limited technical capacity of many engineers and planners. Considering the case of Nigeria in a study by Mark, 2019 where many engineers and planners were found to lack the necessary training and skills to effectively use GIS tools and software, this results in inaccurate or inefficient planning and maintenance processes. This lack of technical capacity can also make it difficult to effectively integrate GIS with other systems and tools used in highway planning and maintenance, such as asset management systems and traffic simulation models. Therefore, this study aims to Explore the integration of geographic information systems (gis) in the optimization of highway planning and maintenance strategies, Kampala highway by UNRA.

1.3. The objective of the study

1.3.1. General objective/ Purpose of the study

The Purpose of the study will be to design a geographic information systems (GIS) that can enhance the optimization of highway planning and maintenance.

1.3.2. Specific objectives of the Study

1. To assess the current usage of GIS in highway planning and maintenance by UNRA
2. To analyze the challenges associated with use of GIS in highway planning and maintenance.

• To identify and examine the potential of new trends and GIS technologies in solving the challenges of highway planning and maintenance.

1. To examine the opportunities on how to improve GIS usage in highway planning and maintenance.
2. To make recommendations to UNRA on how GIS can be better harnessed to achieve effective road planning and maintenance.

1.3.2 Research Questions

1. What is the current usage of GIS in highway planning and maintenance by UNRA?
2. What are the challenges associated with use of GIS in highway planning and maintenance?

• What are the potential of new trends and GIS technologies in solving the challenges of highway planning and maintenance?

1. What are the opportunities on how to improve GIS usage in highway planning and maintenance?
2. What are the recommendations to UNRA on how GIS can be better harnessed to achieve effective road planning and maintenance?

1.4. Scope of the study

The scope of this study is divided into subject, geographical and time scope.

• Subject Scope

The study specifically looks at the role of GIS in effectiveness of highway planning and maintenance by UNRA that is to say it looks at how UNRA engineers use GIS in highway planning and maintenance in Uganda. This will be achieved basing on three specific objectives namely; the benefits and practices of GIS in effectiveness in highway planning and maintenance by UNRA, the challenges associated with GIS in transport sector and trends and new technologies in GIS in highway planning and maintenance by UNRA.

1.4.2.     Geographical Scope

The study will be conducted from Kampala focusing on UNRA’s Highway planning and maintenance. UNRA is a government agency mandated to develop and maintain the national roads network, advise the government on general roads policy, contribute to the addressing of national transport concerns, and perform certain other functions. UNRA is charged with, among other things, the selection of contractors, the supervision of construction, the scheduling of maintenance, and the prioritization of national road works.

1.4.3.     Time scope

The study will cover a period of Five months and that is the period from January to May 2024. From the month of January to March 2024, the researcher will work on the research proposal and have it approved within these months. In the month of May, the researcher will embark on data collection, processing and analysis. Lastly during the months of June and July, the researcher will work on the dissertation and have it submitted to the department.

1.5.     Significance of the Study

The study will help to increase awareness about the basic concepts of GIS. In addition, it will explore some published works about GIS applications in transportation analysis and planning. In other words, it will review literature and terminology. The study findings will establish the technologies used such as using internet GIS in transportation. With visualization of real-time data, UNRA will be able to easily identify potential issues that can be addressed more efficiently and economically than with the prevailing methods. Through detailed GIS maps, this information will be easily conveyed to decision-makers and the public. Furthermore, the study on GIS will help to provide timely and accurate aid for decision makers thus cost-effectiveness due to the advanced nature of GIS technology, which is robust; making it indispensable highway maintenance and planning management system.

1.6.     Justification of the study

This study will be vital since the application of GIS has relevance to transportation due to the essentially spatially distributed nature of transportation related data, and the need for various types of network level analysis, statistical analysis and spatial analysis and manipulation. Most transportation impacts are spatial. At GIS platform, the transport network database is generally extended by integrating many sets of its attribute and spatial data through its linear referencing system. Moreover, GIS will facilitate integration of all other socioeconomic data with transport network database for wide variety of planning functions.

1.7 Conceptual frame work

            IV(integration of GIS)           DV (optimization of highway planning and maintenance strategies.

GIS allows for the integration of various data sources, including topographic maps, satellite imagery, traffic patterns, and environmental data. By combining these datasets, GIS provides a comprehensive view of the landscape and infrastructure, which is crucial for making informed decisions about highway planning and maintenance. GIS enables sophisticated spatial analysis, such as route optimization and the identification of high-risk areas for maintenance. Through spatial modeling, planners can evaluate different route scenarios and their impacts on travel time, costs, and environmental factors, leading to more efficient and effective planning.

GIS supports predictive maintenance by analyzing historical data to forecast potential issues before they become critical. This capability helps prioritize maintenance activities based on the likelihood of failures, thereby reducing downtime and extending the lifespan of highway assets.

The visualization tools provided by GIS facilitate communication and collaboration among stakeholders, including government agencies, contractors, and the public. Interactive maps and visualizations help in presenting complex information in an accessible format, which is essential for gaining stakeholder support and input.

GIS optimizes highway planning by enabling more accurate route selection and alignment. Planners can assess various factors, such as land use, environmental constraints, and population density, to determine the most efficient and cost-effective routes, By analyzing spatial data, GIS helps in the optimal allocation of resources, such as labor and materials, for highway maintenance. This leads to more efficient use of resources and reduces operational costs.

GIS facilitates the development of maintenance schedules based on real-time data and predictive models. This proactive approach helps in addressing maintenance needs before they lead to major issues, improving overall road safety and performance.

The ability to identify and address potential problems early through GIS can lead to significant cost savings. By avoiding reactive maintenance and reducing the frequency of repairs, overall costs associated with highway management are minimized.

GIS aids in assessing the environmental impact of highway projects and maintenance activities. This includes evaluating effects on wildlife, vegetation, and nearby communities. By incorporating environmental considerations into planning and maintenance strategies, GIS helps in promoting sustainable and socially responsible highway management. The integration of GIS in highway planning and maintenance strategies offers numerous benefits, including enhanced planning efficiency, improved resource allocation, better maintenance scheduling, cost reduction, and positive environmental and social impacts. By leveraging the capabilities of GIS, highway agencies can optimize their strategies, leading to more effective and sustainable management of highway infrastructure.