History of road development in india | History of highway engineering | Civil Engg. |

History Development of Road

The History Development of Road construction is linked with the history of human civilization.  Road is first and oldest mode of travel was footpath which people found the most convenient and the shortest way to approach to their hunting and fishing ground, people use tamed animals for transport which required bridle paths of greater width and heights. After invention of wheel, animal drawn carts continued to be the popular mode of transport for quite a long time.  This had necessitated providing hard surfaces for wheeled carts.
          The first hard surface was discovered in Mesopotamia at about 3500 B.C.  A review of the road development in India is given below :-

In this Articles :-

Q. History Development of Road

Q. Roads in Ancient India

Q. Roads in Mughal period

Q. Roads in British Period

Q. Jayakar Committee 

Q. Central Road Research Institute

Q. Indian Road Congress

Q. Functions of Indian Road Congress

Q. Central Road Fund

Q. Motor Vehicle Act

Roads in Ancient India :-

The excavations of Mohenjodaro and Harappa have established the existence of roads in India at about 3500 B.C.  As per the old records, in early periods the roads were mainly for indispensable for administrative and military purposes. The ancient scriptures refer to the existence of roads during the Aryan period in 400 B.C.  There were 'Mahapathas' as a means of communications, as referred to in Rigveda. Kautilya the first Prime Minister of Emperor Chandra Gupta Maurya laid down rules in his literary piece titled "Arthasastra". Rules have been mentioned regarding the depth of  roads for various purposes and for different types of traffic. The punishment for obstructing roads have also been mentioned. In the beginning of fifth century the roads had been improved and the facilities for the travelers by emperor Ashoka.

Roads in Mughal period :-

The roads were greatly improved in India during the Pathan and Mughal period. Many of the highway built or maintained by Mughals received great appreciation from the foreign visitors. Roads were built running from North-West to the eastern areas through the Gangetic plains, linking also the coastal and central parts. Road from Delhi to Daultabad was constructed by Mohammad Tughlaq.

Roads in British Period :-

Roads in Nineteenth Century at the beginning of British rule. During this period, the condition of roads deteriorated. The early British interest was only in carrying roads of military importance. In fact these roads connected important military and business centers. 
          William Bentinck took steps to build the modern Grand Trunk Road from Calcutta to Delhi with permanent bridges and good stones. The construction of the Grand Trunk Road was completed by this new department. The work of road construction and maintenance was given secondary importance. Immediately with the development of railways, attention of the government was shifted from road development except for providing feeder roads and the railway was gaining the rights. 
            Lord Dalhousie gave further momentum to road construction by forming the Public Work Department in place of military board in 1885.

Jayakar Committee (1927) :- 

( Jayakar committee road construction should be constructed as the national interest. ) the Central Government appointed Indian Road Development Committee under the chairmanship of M.R.  Jayakar to report on the condition of existing rod and to suggest ways and means for their future development.  
            After the first World War, motor vehicles using the roads increased and this demanded a better road network which can carry both bullock cart traffic and motor vehicles.  The existing roads when not capable to withstand the mixed traffic conditions.  A resolution was passed by both Chambers of the Indian Legislature 1927 for the appointment of a committee to examine and report on the question of road development in India.  In response to the resolution, Indian Road Development  Committee was appointed by the government with M. R. Jayakar as Chairman, in 1927. The Jayakar Committee submitted its report by the year 1928. with the recommendations that since the provincial governments and the local bodies unable to look after all the roads, the road development in the country should be taken up by the Central Government. The most important recommendations made by the committee are :-

1. The road development in the country should be considered as a national interest as this has become beyond the capacity of provincial governments and local bodies.  
2. An extra tax should be levied on petrol from the road users to develop a road development fund called Central Road Fund.
3. A semi-official technical body should be formed to pool technical know how from various parts of the country and to act as an advisory body on various aspects of roads.  
4. A research organization should be instituted to carry out research and development work and to be available for consultations.  Most of the recommendations of the Jayakar Committee were accepted by the government, and the major items were implemented subsequently.  The Central Road Fund was formed by the year 1929, the semi - official technical body called the Indian Roads Congress was formed in 1934 and the Central Road Research Institute was started in 1950.

Central Road Research Institute (C.R.R.I.) :-

The Central Road Research Institute was started in 1950 at Delhi for road research work in the country.  This is one of the chain of national laboratories under council of scientific and industrial research in India.  The institute has the following objectives :- 

1. To carry out basic and applied research for design, construction and maintenance of various roads.  
2. To carry out research on traffic safely and transport economics.  
3. To research on economical utilisation of locally available materials for construction and maintenance of roads.  
4. To develop new machinery, tools equipment and instruments for highway engineering.
5. To provide technical advice and consultancy services to various organisations 
6. To provide library and documentation services.  The institute is headed by a Director and has the following wings :- 
   

➤   General projects 

➤   Documentation 

➤   Soil and Geotechnical Engineering 

➤   Flexible pavements 

➤   Rigid pavements 

➤   Extension 

➤   Traffic and transportation 

➤   Workshop 

➤   Electronic instrumentation 

➤   Environment and safety

Indian Road Congress (I.R.C.) :-

The Indian Road Congress was established by the Central Government in 1934 This, it may be recalled, is one of the main recommendations made by the Jayakar Committee. The I.R.C.  was constituted to provide a forum for regular pooling of experience and ideas on all matters affecting the planning, construction and maintenance of roads in India.  

➤  Introduction of highway.

➤  Introduction of roadway.

➤  Advantage of Roadway.

➤  Classification of Roadway.

➤  Nagpur Road Plan

➤  Define national highway, State highway, Major District Roads, Other District Roads and Village Roads .

➤  Define Expressways, Arterial streets, Sub - arterial streets, Collector streets and Local streets

                             Presently the Indian Road Congress has become the active body to recommended specifications and to provide a platform for the expression of professional opinion on matters relating  to road engineering  design and construction of roads and bridges including such questions as those of organization and administration. The IRC works in close collaboration with Roads Wing of the Ministry of Surface Transport, Government of India.The IRC has played important role in the formulation of the three 20 - year road development plans in India.  

	1St 20 Year Plan	2nd 20 Year Plan	3rd 20 Year Plan
Duration	1993 - 1963	1961 - 1981	1981 - 2001
Other Name	Nagpur	Mumbai	Lucknow
Target Density	16 km/ sq.100	32 km/ sq.100	82 km/ sq.100
Road Pattern	Star & Grid	No Pattern	Square & Grid
Length of Exp.-way	No	1600 km	2000 km

              Now the Indian Roads Congress has become an active body of national importance controlling specifications, standardization and recommendations on materials, design and construction of roads and bridges.  The IRC publishes joumals, research publications, standards specifications guidelines and other special publications on various aspects of highway engineering, the technical activities of the IRC are mainly carried out by the highway research board and several committees and subcommittees consisting of experts in each subject.

Functions of Indian Road Congress :- 

The Indian Road Congress is a body of professional highway engineers, having the following functions :- 

1. To provide forum for expression of collective opinion of its members for all matters affecting the construction and maintenance of roads in India.  
2. Promote the use of standard specifications and practices.  
3. Suggest improved method of planning, design construction, maintenance of roads.  
4. Conduct periodical meetings to discuss technical questions regarding roads. 
5. Make laws for the development, improvement and protection of roads.  
6. Furnish and maintain libraries and museums for encouraging the science of road making.

Central Road Fund :-

An extra tax is charged on petrol and high speed vehicle to create road development fund known as Central Road fund, C.R.F is established in 1st March 1929.
            Based on the authority of a resolution adopted by the Indian Legislature, the Central Road Fund (CRF) was established on 1st March 1929. The consumers of petrol were charged an exim leavy of 2.64 paisa per liter of petrol to build up this road development fund 20 percent of the annual revenue is to be retained as a Central Resene, from which grants are to be given by the Central Government for meeting expenses on the administration of the road fund, road experiments and  research on road and bridge projects of special importance.  The balance 80 percent is to be allotted by the Central Govemment to the various states based on actual petrol consumption or revenue collected The accounts of the Central Road Fund are maintained by the Accountant General of Central Revenues and the control on the medical is excrcised by the  Roads Wing of Ministry of Transport.  Recently the rate of collection of the levy towards the CRF has been revised in order to augment the revenue under this fund

Motor Vehicle Act :-

Motor Vehicle Act in 1939 is generally specification related to vehicle are given in this Act. The Motor Vehicles Act was brought into effect by Government of India to regulate the road traffic in the form of traffic lows, ordinances and regulations.  The three phases primarily covered control of the driver vehicle ownership and vehicle operation on roads and in traffic stream.  The Motor Vehicle Act has been appended with several ordinances subsequently.  The Motor Vehicles Act has been revised in the year 1988.