Published in the Formosa Journal of Science and Technology, the study offers a practical approach for governments facing limited infrastructure budgets while trying to maintain road quality, support regional economic growth, and improve transportation safety.
The findings suggest that road handling decisions become more reliable when governments consider not only repair costs but also road conditions, traffic intensity, regional connectivity, industrial activity, and logistics functions.
Why Road Prioritization Matters in East Java
East Java operates one of Indonesia’s most active provincial road networks, supporting industrial production, logistics movement, urban expansion, and daily mobility. Although provincial road stability has continued to improve, damage such as potholes, cracking, and surface settlement still appears regularly and requires targeted intervention.
In Gresik Regency, this challenge is especially significant. The area serves as an economic corridor linked to Surabaya and industrial zones across the region. Not every damaged road can be repaired within a single budget cycle, creating pressure to determine which locations require immediate attention.
Traditional road management systems already collect technical information such as pavement condition, traffic volume, and maintenance requirements. However, infrastructure decisions often involve broader considerations that numbers alone cannot fully represent.
The researchers proposed that technical indicators should be strengthened with structured decision weighting to reflect real operational priorities.
Combining Technical Data With Strategic Decision-Making
The research combined two approaches.
The first was PKRMS, Indonesia’s road management platform used to evaluate road inventory, pavement conditions, traffic performance, and maintenance planning.
The second was the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), a decision-making framework that compares multiple factors and assigns relative importance to each one.
Rather than relying solely on engineering measurements, the integrated model introduced weighted priorities across several dimensions:
- Road condition and traffic volume
- Road connectivity between regions
- Industrial development areas
- Goods and logistics corridors
- Economic and residential development zones
The research converted these weighted priorities into inputs for PKRMS analysis, allowing technical data and strategic considerations to work together.
Among all evaluation factors, road condition and traffic volume emerged as the most influential criterion.
The weighting results showed:
- Road condition and traffic volume: 29.30%
- Regional connectivity: 23.20%
- Industrial development areas: 18.90%
- Logistics corridors: 18.20%
- Economic and residential development: 10.40%
These results indicate that while strategic regional roles matter, physical road conditions and mobility demand remain the strongest drivers of maintenance decisions.
Key Findings: Highest Cost Does Not Mean Highest Priority
The integrated analysis evaluated three provincial road sections in Gresik Regency.
The results revealed that maintenance cost and technical priority are not always aligned.
Priority Ranking After PKRMS–AHP Integration
1. Petiyin (Lamongan Border) – Karangcangkring (Lamongan Border)
- Technical Priority Index (TPI): 24.9
- Estimated five-year maintenance value: IDR 9.0 billion
2. Surabaya – Driyorejo – Legundi Corridor
- Technical Priority Index (TPI): 22.5
- Estimated five-year maintenance value: IDR 57.7 billion
3. Legundi – Mojokerto Regency Section
- Technical Priority Index (TPI): 7.5
- Estimated five-year maintenance value: IDR 22.2 billion
One of the study’s most notable findings is that the Petiyin–Karangcangkring section remained the highest technical priority despite requiring substantially lower investment than the Surabaya–Driyorejo–Legundi corridor.
The comparison shows that urgency cannot be measured through expenditure alone.
Implications for Infrastructure Policy and Regional Development
The study presents a decision framework that may help local governments allocate infrastructure budgets more effectively.
By integrating technical indicators with weighted strategic criteria, maintenance planning can become more transparent, accountable, and aligned with broader regional goals.
For businesses and industrial operators, especially those dependent on logistics corridors in Gresik, better prioritization may improve transport reliability and reduce operational costs.
For communities, improved road management can contribute to safer travel, smoother mobility, and more efficient public infrastructure services.
The researchers also suggested that future models could incorporate additional variables such as accident rates, economic impact, drainage performance, flood risk, and heavy vehicle loads.
According to Fajar Ilman Tama and colleagues from Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya, infrastructure prioritization should reflect both technical urgency and the strategic role each road plays in supporting industrial growth, logistics efficiency, and regional connectivity.
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