Cost overruns causes and factors in roadway and bridge construction projects, case study of Burundi

Infrastructure development is a critical activity for any country’s economic growth, whether developed or developing. Nonetheless, the infrastructure sector, particularly that related to road and bridge construction projects, faces unexpected challenges and risks, which tend to limit and negatively impact the performance and profitability of these projects. The reason for this work is to distinguish and rank the different elements that add to cost invades in Burundi road and bridge development projects. A structured questionnaire survey with 24 identified factors was designed and distributed to 55 stakeholders from various professions and sectors of activity involved in road construction projects. The outcomes can fill in as a guide for understanding the expense the board difficulties faced by extension, bridges and road development undertakings, and will assist participants and financial backers in these activities with creating strategies and techniques to alleviate huge factors and dangers that can adversely influence project costs. The relative importance index (RII) technique was used to rank the elements. The most common reasons of cost overruns, as indicated by the findings, are: lowest bid price system, underestimation of project costs by contractors, poor project implementation strategies, delays beyond the control of stakeholders, weak and insufficient technical studies, each of these factors has a RII value greater than 0.8. These findings are critical for road project participants because they enable them to recognize and understand the most crucial aspects that can lead to cost overruns. These findings are critical for stakeholders involved in road and bridge construction projects to know and understand the main causes that can create cost overruns, as well as for developing effective project management models to mitigate cost overruns in developing countries.