PURPOSES: This study determines the life of asphalt overlay over old concrete pavements for various times of overlay, using the actual 30- year performance history of the Jungbu Expressway. The results from this study can be used as the basis for decisions on the proper time for overlay, and can also provide information for life cycle cost analysis. METHODS : The maintenance history of the Jungbu Expressway and traffic database 30 years after construction were analyzed. The durations between the first overlay and subsequent overlay for each section of the pavement were analyzed for the entire Jungbu Expressway. The durations were analyzed in terms of both years and the ESAL traffic volumes. RESULTS : 1. The life of the asphalt overlay over the old concrete pavements depended on the time of overlay in terms of both age and cumulative ESALs. A strong correlation was observed between the overlay life and the cumulative ESALs at the time of overlay. 2. The life of the second overlay at the same section was significantly shorter than the first overlay. For JCP, the average lives of the first and second overlays were 6.1 and 2.4 years, respectively. For CRCP, they were 4.8 and 2.7 years, respectively. The main reason for the shorter life of the overlay for CRCP may be that the overlay time was generally later than that for the JCP. 3. The life of the overlay was analyzed according to its materials. SMA exhibited the best performance, followed by CRM. CONCLUSIONS: Life of the overlay reduced with the time of overlay especially in terms of cumulative ESALs, and the life of the second overlay at the same section was significantly shorter than the first overlay. The results can be used in the decision making of the time of overlay and in the life cycle cost analysis.