The study, conducted by I Ketut Nagageni, Ony Frengky Rumihin, and Iswandaru Widyatmoko from the Master of Civil Engineering Program, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya (UNTAG Surabaya), examined how local governments can prioritize road maintenance using a combination of strategic and data-driven analysis. Published in the Formosa Journal of Science and Technology (FJST), the research focused on road infrastructure in the Kepanjen area of East Java, Indonesia.
The findings identified the Blitar–Kepanjen highway section as the most urgent road segment for maintenance, followed by the Kepanjen–Gondanglegi route. The study matters because it offers a practical decision model that can help governments allocate limited maintenance budgets while preserving road performance, mobility, and economic activity.
Road infrastructure plays a central role in connecting economic centers, supporting logistics, and enabling access to services. Yet many developing regions continue to face a recurring challenge: road deterioration often happens faster than maintenance budgets can respond.
Heavy traffic volumes, freight transportation, overloaded vehicles, and growing urban activity accelerate pavement damage. Cracks, potholes, rutting, and surface deterioration not only reduce driving comfort but also increase vehicle operating costs and long-term repair expenses.
Against this backdrop, the research team explored how infrastructure agencies can move beyond reactive repairs and adopt a structured prioritization system.
The case study examined the Wlingi–Kepanjen–Turen road corridor, a strategic transportation route connecting Blitar Regency and Malang Regency. The corridor extends approximately 52.86 kilometers and was divided into four road sections for analysis:
- Wlingi City Boundary – Malang Regency Boundary
- Blitar Regency – Kepanjen
- Kepanjen – Gondanglegi
- Gondanglegi – Turen
Rather than relying on a single indicator, the researchers evaluated each section through multiple considerations.
The study combined two complementary analytical approaches.
The first was Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), a structured decision-making method that compares alternatives based on weighted criteria.
The second was SWOT analysis, which evaluates internal strengths and weaknesses together with external opportunities and threats.
To simplify the process, the researchers gathered road condition information, traffic characteristics, and expert assessments. The SWOT findings were then integrated into the AHP framework to generate a ranked maintenance priority list.
This approach allowed the team to balance technical urgency with broader strategic considerations.
The results showed clear differences in maintenance urgency across the corridor.
Road Maintenance Priority Ranking
One of the strongest conclusions from the study is that physical road condition remains the dominant factor in maintenance decisions.
The authors found that visible damage—including potholes, structural weakening, and surface cracking—creates immediate impacts on public safety and transportation efficiency.
Traffic intensity also plays a major role. Roads carrying larger volumes of heavy vehicles experience faster degradation and often require earlier intervention.
Interestingly, the strategic SWOT factors received lower weighting than direct physical indicators.
According to the authors from Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya, this does not mean strategic planning is unimportant. Instead, it reflects the reality that road condition and traffic data provide more immediate and measurable signals when governments must decide how to distribute limited maintenance funds.
In ethical paraphrase of the authors’ interpretation, the research suggests that infrastructure preservation should begin with protecting existing road assets before expanding infrastructure networks, especially under budget constraints.
The broader implications extend beyond the Kepanjen region.
For local governments, the model offers a more accountable way to justify maintenance spending.
For infrastructure planners and engineers, the framework provides a replicable method for balancing technical urgency with policy priorities.
For communities and businesses, better maintenance sequencing may improve road safety, reduce transport costs, and strengthen economic connectivity.
The researchers also noted that the model should not be copied mechanically. Different regions may require adjustments to evaluation variables because geographic conditions, traffic composition, and institutional priorities vary across locations.
As governments continue to manage growing infrastructure demands with finite resources, decision-support approaches like the integration of AHP and SWOT may become increasingly important tools for public investment planning.
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