History of Roads and Road Development in India । Highway Engineering

India has a long history of roads, starting from ancient times. Roads in India have played a major role in trade, travel, and communication for thousands of years.

Ancient Times

Around 2500 BCE, during the Indus Valley Civilization, people built well-planned roads using stone and bricks.

In the Mauryan Empire (around 300 BCE), Emperor Ashoka built long roads, including one famous road from Pataliputra (now Patna) to Tamralipta (now Tamluk, West Bengal).

The Grand Trunk Road, which is still used today, was first developed by Chandragupta Maurya and improved by rulers like Sher Shah Suri in the 16th century. It connected Bengal to Kabul (in Afghanistan).

Medieval Period

During the rule of the Mughals, road systems were improved for better communication and trade. Roads linked important cities and were used by travelers, armies, and merchants.

British Period

The British built many roads for controlling the country and transporting goods.

They developed National Highways, railway roads, and military roads.

By the time India got independence in 1947, there were some basic road networks, but many roads were in poor condition.

Post-Independence Period

After 1947, the Indian government focused on building more roads to connect cities, towns, and villages.

In 1951, India had about 400,000 km of roads. Today, it has more than 6 million kilometers, making it the second-largest road network in the world.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was formed in 1995 to develop and manage highways.

Modern Road Development

Projects like Golden Quadrilateral and Bharatmala were started to build better and faster highways.

Roads now connect almost every corner of the country and help in economic growth, tourism, and trade.