Author(s): Luciana Fernández and Hendrik Müller

Abstract: Timely completion of small road construction projects is critical for ensuring local connectivity, economic activity, and efficient use of public funds. Despite their limited scale, such projects frequently experience schedule delays that undermine anticipated benefits and inflate lifecycle costs. This mini-systematic review synthesizes existing empirical and review-based literature to identify construction-related and engineering management factors that contribute to schedule delays in small road projects. A structured search and screening of peer-reviewed studies focusing on road and highway works with limited budgets, short durations, and localized scopes was conceptually adopted to extract recurring delay determinants. The reviewed studies consistently indicate that delays in small road projects arise from a complex interaction of managerial, technical, contractual, and contextual factors rather than from a single dominant cause. Inadequate project planning, inaccurate time estimation, and weak site supervision are frequently cited construction management issues, while design changes, late approvals, and insufficient geotechnical investigation emerge as common engineering-related contributors. Financial constraints, delayed payments, and limited contractor capacity further exacerbate time overruns, particularly in projects executed by small and medium contractors. External influences such as adverse weather, material supply disruptions, and utility conflicts are also reported as significant, especially in rural and peri-urban contexts. The review highlights that many delay factors observed in large infrastructure projects manifest differently in small road works due to constrained resources, simplified contractual arrangements, and limited risk mitigation practices. By consolidating evidence across diverse geographic settings, this research provides a focused understanding of schedule delay causation in small road projects. The findings are intended to support practitioners, engineers, and local authorities in developing context-appropriate planning, monitoring, and control strategies that can improve schedule performance and delivery reliability in small-scale road construction.

DOI: 10.22271/27078329.2026.v5.i1a.60

Pages: 01-05 | Views: 57 | Downloads: 28

Download Full Article: Click Here