In the 1980's the Rocky Mountain Maintenance Tour established a highly effective forum for the exchange of information, techniques, policies and strategies for the maintenance of the Highway System. Since that time the role of Maintenance as a critical element in the overall management of the State Highway infrastructure has increased. Most Maintenance managers have been completely replaced since the ending of the Rocky Mountain Maintenance Tour. The primary focus has also shifted from new construction and major rehabilitation to more attention to infrastructure preservation and asset management via cost effective maintenance. Reactive maintenance alone is not adequate to overcome the challenges of rapid deterioration of roads, considering aging of the infrastructure and growing economic constraints. The Western Maintenance Partnership (WMP) previously ran from 2006-2014 as TPF-5(145), and from 2015-2019 as TPF-5(312). This 5-year continuation of the WMP will pool the efforts of the participating agencies to provide a focused look at Maintenance, and will partner with WASHTO states to share experiences, innovations, expertise and solutions to the complex management of highway assets. Maintenance issues include policies, practices, specifications, field investigations, applied research, materials, and training. It is expected that a roundtable and sharing of field experience via hands on demonstration of features will be key elements of the annual meetings.

The purpose of the Western Maintenance Partnership (WMP) continuation is to provide a partnering forum for promoting effective maintenance strategies through the following objectives: - Provide travel reimbursement funds for an annual meeting (WASHTO Committee on Maintenance) and a multi-day annual workshop/scan tour, for discussion and exchange of information and knowledge about each state's maintenance program. - Provide a means to define, support and share technology of mutual interest. - Provide funds for formal training presentations during the annual workshop. - Provide funds for management support of WMP. - Provide funds for special studies, investigations, research and training.

The minimum funding contribution is needed to: - Provide travel reimbursement funds for an annual meeting (WASHTO Committee on Maintenance) and a multi-day annual workshop/scan tour, for discussion and exchange of information and knowledge about each state's maintenance program. - Provide funds for formal training presentations during the annual workshop. - Provide a forum to define, support and share technology of mutual interest. - Implement task orders, as designated by the WMP members. - Provide funds to manage the WMP's operations and to maintain a web site that would display meeting reports, state guidelines and specifications.

This will be a 5-year project with likely renewal, running approximately from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2024. Additional meetings, besides the annual conferences and annual workshops, are possible. The proposed budget can be used to cover the cost of meeting arrangements, state travel, and a meeting report. Each participating state is expected to provide total funding of $15,000 for the first 3 years of the project period. The 3-year commitment/obligation of funds can be split over the 3 years or the full amount can be committed/obligated in the first year of the program. Many of the WASHTO states have expressed interest in continuing the program. Proceedings from the annual conferences and annual workshops will be documented by reports. Please indicate in your commitment comments if you plan to use non-SP&R funding.