Analyzing Causes of Delays in Highway Construction Projects: A Case Study of Pakistan

Construction project delays are a prevalent issue worldwide, typically occurring when a project takes longer than the expected timeframe to complete. In Pakistan, road construction delays have a significant effect because a major portion of the annual budget is allocated to transportation projects. This study identified additional variables contributing to delays from the existing literature on highway project delays in Pakistan. The variables are related to implementation, labor, equipment, political influence, project management, finance, and environment. To explore the effects of these factors on project delays, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted, and responses were received from 152 participants. Statistical analysis, along with weighted mean and fuzzy logic approaches, was used to identify the influential contributors to project delays. Both methods produced the same ranking, indicating that finance is the most significant factor causing delays, followed by politics and implementation. Based on these findings, strategic recommendations were developed to offer guidance to policymakers on key challenges in the highway construction sector and support informed decision-making.