#indiaroadnetwork

Road infrastructure is one of the important components of socio-economic growth for any country and India is no exception. The comprehensive diversities of the road network in the country support an efficient movement of resources from the rural to the urban area contributing to urbanization and economic integration. As road transport comprises a considerable share of 4.8% of GDP, the importance of the good and extensive network of roads cannot be belittled at all.

The blog describes the details concerning the present scenario, problems, and initiatives in India's case, especially from the point of view of road surveyors, to give more insight into the surveys and assessments that are in progress.

Importance of Road Infrastructure: The backbone of India's transportation is the road network. The network economically acts as a growth driver by linking the villages, towns, and cities for the exchange that results from both domestic and international trade. The network comprises over 5.5 million kilometres of roads, comprising expressways, national highways, state highways, district, and rural roads. As India is progressing towards urbanization and modernization, understanding the complexity of this system is crucial in planning effectively, maintenance, and upgrades for road surveyors.

Road Types in India:

Expressways: These are the high-class road networks that can be used at speeds up to 120 km/h in India. As of March 2023, India possesses an expressway network of 4,067 kilometers connecting important cities and improving travel times.

NH National Highways: NHAI These highways form part of the core national network connecting the country from one end to the other. Despite making up just 2% of India's road length, they carry an impressive 40% of the traffic in India and can normally allow a speed of 80-100 km/h.

State Highways (SH): State highways connect cities of a particular state and are maintained by the state governments concerned.

Major District Roads (MDR): MDRs link district headquarters with other key places within the district.

Other District Roads (ODR) These roads are vital for the development of rural areas as they connect minor towns and villages.

Village Roads These are one-lane roads that connect the rural areas with other larger road networks. These roads are locally the responsibility of gram panchayats and normally have a speed limit of 20-30 km/h.

Road Infrastructure Scenario: India's road transport network handles more than 60 per cent of the country's goods and 90 per cent of passengers, but it also faces several problems:

Traffic Congestion: Traffic congestion at the national highways is very high: The national highways make up only 2 per cent of the total roads but still carry a major chunk of the country's traffic. Consequently, it causes bottlenecks.

Low Capacity and Maintenance Ends Most of the roads, especially rural and district roads, lack proper maintenance that puts forward issues of safety and time loss.

Safety Issues: More vehicles with not-so-good road conditions have led to more and more accidents. Inappropriate signposts, uneven surfaces, and broken roads make the safety even worse.

The Road Surveys' Role: Road surveys at Dolphin Engineer are considered relevant to the Indian road network concerning condition assessment, capacity, and safety. The engineers of the company gather data from the site on traffic volume, road conditions, and bottlenecks for informed upgrading and maintenance or expansion decisions.

A detailed survey would find such potholes, damaged stretches, poor signage, and weak bridges under such circumstances. Attention is needed to avoid accidents and to smoothen traffic flows.

Conclusion: India, having vast road infrastructures, many areas still make their way towards growth with the assistance of Dolphin Engineer through various road surveys. Those parts that keep a check on the efficient and safe transportation system are another important part to be done. Keeping in mind the latest technological range at every step, by catering to the specific needs of various kinds of roads, Dolphin Engineer is strictly committed to providing aid in the development of India's road infrastructure to meet the booming nation.