MaineDOT Highway Asset Management Glossary

  • Highway Priority
  • Customer Service Level
  • Project Status
Priority Definition
Priority 1 Roads These roads include the Maine Turnpike, the interstate system and key principal arterials designated as the National HIghway System (NHS) like State Route 9 Brewer- Calais, US Route 2 Newport-Gilead and US Route 1 Houlton-Madawaska. The 1,873 miles of Priority 1 highway represent only 8 percent of the miles, but carry fully 40 percent of all vehicle miles traveled in Maine.
Priority 2 Roads These roads include high-priority, non-NHS arterials like State Route 161 Caribou-Ft. Kent, State Route 15 Bangor-Greenville, US Route 1 Ellsworth-Eastport, State Route 4 Farmington-Rangeley. The HCP 2 roads total about 1,252 miles. They represent about 5 percent of the total miles of roadway and carry 18 percent of overall traffic.
Priority 3 Roads These roads generally are the remaining arterials and major collector highways. They include corridors like US Route 202 China-Hampden, State Route 5 Cornish-Fryburg, State Route 6 Lincoln-Topsfield, US Route 1 Baileyville-Houlton. These 1,257 miles represent 5 percent of miles, and carry 12 percent of the traffic.
Priority 4 Roads These roads generally are the remainder of the major collector highways, minor collector highways, and often also part of Maine's unique state aid system, in which road responsibilities are shared between the state and municipalities. These 4,670 miles represent about 20 percent of total miles, and carry 17 percent of the traffic.

(Priority 1-3 roadways are 19% of public road miles and carry 70% of all VMT.)


(Priority 1-4 roadways are 39% of public road miles and carry 87% of all VMT.)
Priority 5 Roads These roads are local roads and streets, and are the year-round responsibility of our municipal partners. Though they carry just 13 percent of the statewide traffic, these 14,446 miles make up 61 percent of the total miles.
Customer Service Level Category Definition
Crash History Safety This measure includes the two types of motor vehicle crashes most likely related to the highway- head-on and run-offroad crashes. The A-F scale compares these crash rates with the statewide average.
Paved Roadway Width Safety This measure compares total paved width (lane plus shoulder) with minimum acceptable widths by Highway Corridor Priority (not new design standards). If a highway segment fails this minimum, the Safety Customer Service Levels for that segment is decreased one letter grade.
Pavement Rutting Safety This measure looks at wheelpath rutting, since excessive rutting holds water and contributes to hydroplaning and icing in winter. The A-F scale set points vary by Highway Corridor Priority, and are based on hydroplane tests.
Bridge Reliability Safety This measure is pass/fail. If a highway segment contains a bridge with a Condition Rating of 3 or less (excluding non-overpass decks), the Safety Customer Service Level is decreased one letter grade. These bridges are safe, but may require increased inspection or remedial work that could affect traffic flow.
Pavement Condition Condition This measure uses the Pavement Condition Rating (PCR), a 0-5 scale that is composed of International Roughness Index, rutting, and two basic types of cracking. The A-F scale varies by Highway Corridor Priority.
Bridge Condition Condition This measure converts the 0-9 national bridge inventory (NBI) condition ratings to pass or fail; it is uniform across Highway Corridor Priority.
Ride Quality Condition This measure uses the International Roughness Index (IRI), which is expressed in inches per mile of deviation. IRI is the nationally accepted standard for passenger comfort, and the A-F scale varies by Highway Corridor Priority.
Posted Road Service Each year, MaineDOT posts more than 2,000 miles of road during spring thaw to protect their longevity, but some posted roads directly affect Maine's economy. Road segments that are permanently posted get a D, those with seasonal postings get a C.
Posted Bridge Service This measure uses load weight restrictions to arrive at an A-F score that varies by Highway Corridor Priority.
Congestion Service This measure uses the ratio of peak traffic flows to highway capacity to arrive at an A-F score for travel delay. Peak summer months are specifically considered to capture impacts to Maine's tourism industry. This scale is uniform across Highway Corridor Priority, since tourist travel is system-wide and sitting in traffic affects customer service similarly on all roads.
Project Status Definition
Awaiting Kick-off Projects with construction funding that have a kick-off date forecasted.
Design/Permitting Phase Projects with construction funding that have been kicked-off and forecasted for construction to begin.
Construction Phase Projects with construction funding where construction has begun.
Construction Complete Projects with construction funding where the construction phase is complete.