Highway

HomeTransportation EngineeringHighway Engineering - Definition, Importance,
Characteristics & Classification of Highways

Highway Engineering - Definition, Importance, Characteristics & Classification of
Highways
In this post, We will study about details of highway engineering, which is the
branch of transportation engineering. This article also covers the topic of
importance and characteristics of highway engineering and highway plans.
Classification of highways like national highways, state highways, major district
roads, other district roads, village roads and express ways.
Also read : Details of Transportation Engineering
Highway
What is Highway Engineering ?

Highway Engineering is a branch of transportation engineering which deals
with the design, construction and maintenance of different types of roads. It is
also called as road engineering and it involves the study of the following :
1) Planning, location and development of roads.

2) Materials required for their construction.
3) Highway traffic performance and its control.
4) Drainage of roads etc.
Highway plans :
The drawings prepared from the data collected during different surveys
conducted for locating a highway are known as highway plans or drawings.
Highway Plans
Drawings of Highway
The various plans or drawings

prepared in connection with a road project are key map, index map, preliminary
survey plans, etc. The details of additional works such as bridges, culverts,
railway crossing, etc. are also prepared on separate sheets.
Purposes, Objectives of Highway Plans :
1) To find the earth work evolved.

2) To prepare estimates of the road project.
Importance of Roads or Highway Engineering :

Following are the importance of roads or highway transportation.
1. They provide conveyance to the people, goods, raw materials, etc., to reach
different parts of the country.
2. They are the only source of communication in hilly regions.
3. Helps in agricultural development.
4. Helps in dairy development.
5. Helps in tourism development.
6. Helps in fisheries development.

7. Helps in maintaining law and orders in a country.
8. Forestry development.
9. They improve the medical facilities.
10. They improve the land value.
11. They generate the more employment opportunities.
12. They play important role in defence activities.
13. They become the symbol of country's progress and development.
Characteristics of Roads or Highway Engineering :

Following are the characteristics of road transport.
1. It can be used by all types of vehicles including cycles, rickshaws,

automobiles, passenger cars, buses, trucks, etc.
2. It is nearest mode of transport for people or public.
3. It offers flexibility of changes in direction of travel as per need, comfort

and convenience.
4. It saves time of travel especially for short distances and light traffic
because the road vehicles can be taken upto or very near to the point of
destination.
5. It requires small investments and maintenance costs as compared to railways,

airports, docks and harbours.
6. Road transport save time particularly for short distance travel.
Classification of Highways :
The highways are classified as follows :
● According to location and function
● According to traffic
● According to transported tonnage.
According to Location and Function

This classification of roads was done as per recommends made in
the Nagpur Plan finalised by the Indian Roads Congress in 1943. This classification
is, therefore, popularly known as IRC. Classification of road.
According to IRC, roads are classified as
1) National Highways (NH)
2) State Highways (SH)
3) Major District Roads (MDR)
4) Other District Roads (ODR)
5) Village Roads (VR)
1) National Highways (NH)
National Highway
National Highway
National highways are the main highways running through the length
and breadth of India. It connects many roads like major ports, foreign highways,
capitals of large states and large industrial tourist centres. It carries about 30
to 50 percent of total traffic of our country. National highways are the main roads
on which the entire road communication is based.
They are assigned the respective number for the sake of convenience such
as NH-1, NH-2, NH-3 and so on ; as is clear from below ;
NH-1 stands for Amritsar - Ambala - Delhi Road
NH-3 stands for Agra - Bombay Road
To meet with the present day fast moving traffic, the express
highways or expressways have been constructed recently for connecting important
places.
The responsibility of construction and maintenance of these roads
lies with the Central Government.
2) State Highways (SH)
State Highway
State Highway
State arterial roads of a state, connecting up with the National

highways of adjoining states, district head quarters and important cities within
the state. These are also known as Provincial Highways. The responsibility of
construction and maintenance of these roads lies with State Governments. However,
the Central Government gives grant for the development of these roads.
3) Major District Roads (MDR)
Major District Road

Major District Road
Major district roads are important roads within a district

serving areas of production and markets and connecting those with each other or
with the main highways. MDR is used for only low speed. The responsibility of
construction and maintenance of these roads lies with the District Authorities.
However, the state Government gives grant for development of these roads.
4) Other District Roads (ODR)
Other District Road

Other District Road
Other district roads are the roads serving rural areas of

production and providing them with outlet to market centres, taluk head quarters,
block development head quarters and other main roads. ODR is also used for low
speed.
5) Village Roads (VR)
Village Road
Village Road
Village roads connect villages to other villages and also

connects villages to the nearest road of highways.
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HomeTransportation EngineeringHighway Engineering - Definition, Importance,

Characteristics & Classification of Highways

Also read : Details of Transportation Engineering

What is Highway Engineering ?

1) Planning, location and development of roads.

The various plans or drawings

Purposes, Objectives of Highway Plans :

1) To find the earth work evolved.

Importance of Roads or Highway Engineering :

2. They are the only source of communication in hilly regions.

3. Helps in agricultural development.

4. Helps in dairy development.

5. Helps in tourism development.

6. Helps in fisheries development.

9. They improve the medical facilities.

10. They improve the land value.

11. They generate the more employment opportunities.

12. They play important role in defence activities.

13. They become the symbol of country's progress and development.

Characteristics of Roads or Highway Engineering :

1. It can be used by all types of vehicles including cycles, rickshaws,

2. It is nearest mode of transport for people or public.

3. It offers flexibility of changes in direction of travel as per need, comfort

5. It requires small investments and maintenance costs as compared to railways,

6. Road transport save time particularly for short distance travel.

According to Location and Function

1) National Highways (NH)

2) State Highways (SH)

State arterial roads of a state, connecting up with the National

3) Major District Roads (MDR)

Major District Road

Major district roads are important roads within a district

4) Other District Roads (ODR)

Other District Road

Other district roads are the roads serving rural areas of

5) Village Roads (VR)

Village roads connect villages to other villages and also

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