Strengthening secondary roads through lessons learned

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Secondary roads are a vital part of Jamaica’s transport network, linking communities to essential services such as schools, health centres, farms, and businesses. Their condition directly affects mobility, safety, and economic activity.

Across the network, road users encounter issues such as potholes, drainage challenges, and surface deterioration, often requiring periodic repair or rehabilitation. These conditions arise from factors including weather, traffic loading, design, construction practices, and maintenance cycles.

One area that could strengthen road performance is the systematic capture and application of experience from past construction and maintenance activities. Commonly referred to as a “lessons learned system”, this approach records, analyses, and applies knowledge from completed projects to improve future outcomes.

Such systems capture insights into recurring issues, including causes of deterioration, drainage behaviour, ground conditions, construction methods, and maintenance results. This supports continuous improvement in planning, design, construction, and asset management.

There are opportunities to improve how lessons from road projects are consistently documented and shared across organisations involved in secondary road development and maintenance. Better knowledge-sharing can support more informed decisions and improve long-term infrastructure performance.

This approach also benefits new professionals—engineers, project managers, technicians, and contractors—by providing structured learning from real projects and strengthening understanding of local conditions.

The purpose of this discussion is to highlight opportunities for continuous improvement in knowledge management, rather than to focus on any specific project or entity.

As Jamaica continues to invest in its road network, adopting structured lessons learned systems can improve planning, resource use, and long-term outcomes.

Denton Moore, PMP, PMI-RMP