The document outlines the evolution of transportation engineering in India, focusing on highway development from ancient modes of transport to modern road infrastructure initiatives. Key historical points include the recommendations of the Jayakar Committee in 1928, the formation of the Central Road Fund, and the establishment of the Indian Road Congress, which coordinated road development and research efforts. It also discusses contemporary projects like the National Highway Development Projects and rural road initiatives aimed at improving connectivity and infrastructure across the country.

1. TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING -1
HIGHWAY DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA
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2. Introduction
• The oldest mode of travel was on foot track. Animals were also used to transport men
and material.
• After the invention of wheel, animal drawn vehicles became a common and popular
mode of transportation for a very long period.
• This brought up the necessity of providing a hard surface for these wheeled vehicles
to move on.
• Since then several rulers constructed and developed roads as per their method of
construction.
• Roman roads
• Tresaguet method of construction
• Metcalf method
• Telford method
• Macadam method of construction
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4. • Roman
• Tresaguet
• Telford
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• Macadam

5. Macadam method of road
construction
• Subgrade is compacted and prepared with
a cross slope of 1 in 36.
• Strong broken stones passing through 5
cm size sieve were compacted to a
uniform thickness of 10 cm.
• The second layer of strong broken stones
of size 3.75 cm was compacted to
thickness of 10 cm.
• The top layer consisted of stones of size
less than 2 cm compacted to a thickness
of about 5 cm and finished so that the
cross slope of pavement surface was also
1 in 36
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6. • After first world war, motor vehicles using the roads in India increased demanding better
roads.
• Water Bound Macadam (WBM) surface and other inferior surfaces were not able to
withstand the mixed traffic consisting of slow moving vehicles and the motor vehicles.
• The predominant component of the traffic consisted of bullock carts with steel tyred
wheels which could abrade, grind and even crush the stone aggregates of WBM road
surface resulting in dust on the road surface in dry season.
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ROAD DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA

7. • Dust on the road surface would form mud during the monsoon season.
• The passage of fast moving automobiles would raise the dust behind them
during dry weather and churn up the mud and deteriorate the road surface at
a rapid rate during the wet weather.
• Due to the combined effect of the mixed traffic movement, the road
deteriorated fast.
• A resolution was passed by both chambers of the Indian Legislature in the year
1927 for the appointment of a committee to examine and report on the
development of roads in India.
• In response to the resolution, a road development committee was appointed
by the government in 1927, with M R Jayakar as the Chairman.
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8. Jayakra Committee recommendations
Jayakar committee submitted its report by the year 1928. the most important
recommendations made by the committee are:
• 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.
• An extra tax should be levied or imposed on petrol from the road users to develop a road
development fund called ‘Central Road Fund’
• 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.
• A research organisation should be instituted to carry out research and development work
pertaining to roads and to be available for consultations.
Most of the recommendations were accepted by the government and the major
recommendations were implemented subsequently.
The Central Road Fund was formed in the year 1929, the semi-official technical body called
the ‘Indian Road Congress’ was formed in 1934 and Central Road Research Institute started in
the year 1950.
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9. Central Road Fund (CRF)
• Formed on 1st March 1929.
• The consumer of petrol were charged an extra levy of 2.64 paisa per litre to build up this
road development fund.
• 20% of the annual revenue is to be retained as a Central Reserve, 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% is to be allotted by the Central Government to various states based on
actual petrol consumption.
• The accounts of the CRF are maintained by the Accountant General of Central Revenues
and the control on the expenditure is exercised by the Road Wing of Ministry of Transport.
• The fund accrued is distributed for the development and maintenance of national
highways, state roads, rural roads and for constructing identifies grade separators across
railway tracks.
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10. Indian Road Congress (IRC)
• Is a semi-official technical body formed by Central Government in the year 1934.
• This was one of the main recommendations made by Jayakar Committee.
• IRC was constituted to provide a forum for regular pooling of experience, technical
knowledge and ideas on all matters related to the planning, construction, and
maintenance of roads in India.
• The IRC has played important role in the formulation of all road development plans in
India.
• Now IRC has become an active body of national importance controlling specifications,
standards and guidelines on materials, design and construction of roads and bridges.
• IRC publishes journals, 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 sub-committees consisting of experts in each
subjects.
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11. • Economic depression during 20th century delayed the road development
programmes.
• During this period the share from the CRF was the only source for highway
financing.
• During the second world war, intensive efforts were made to develop the road
network that were essential from strategic consideration.
• These projects were substantially supported b defence service funds.
• After second world war, there was a revolution in respect of automobiles using the
roads in our country and a large number of military vehicles started playing on the
roads.
• Thus road development could not cope up with rapid increase in road vehicles and
so the existing roads started deteriorating fast.
• The need foe proper planning and development of roads was urgently felt by the
authorities by this time.
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12. First 20-year Road Development Plan (1943-1963)
• Also called as Nagpur Road Plan (This plan was finalised at Nagpur Road
Conference)
• The total target length aimed at the end of this plan period was 16km per 100 sq.km
area of the country.
• Planned development of various sectors started taking place in the country in a
more systematic manner after the five year plans were implemented from the year
1951-52.
• During the first and second five year plan periods (1951-56 and 1956-61), the road
development programme also was more systematic and hence the Nagpur road
plan target of total length was achieved about two years ahead in 1961.
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13. Motor Vehicle Act (MVA)
• Started in the year 1939 by GOI to regulate the road traffic in the form of traffic laws,
ordinances and regulations.
• The three phases primarily covered are control of the driver, vehicle ownership and vehicle
operation on roads and in traffic streams.
• The MVA-1939 was consolidated and revised in the year 1988 and various laws regulating
road transport were rationalised.
• The MVA-1988 came into force from July 1989, replacing 1939 Act.
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14. Central Road Research Institute (CRRI)
• Started in the year 1950 at New Delhi for carrying out research pertaining to road
technology.
• The CRRI is one of the national laboratories of the Council of Scientific and Industrial
Research (CSIR).
• The institute is mainly engaged in carrying out applied research in various aspects of
Highway Engineering and offers technical advice to State Government and the industries
on various problems concerning roads.
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15. Highway research board (HRB)
• The Highway Research Board of the Indian Road Congress was set up in 1973
• To give proper direction and guidance to road research activities in India.
Objective of IRC Highway Research Board are to:
Ascertain the nature and extent of research required
Correlate research information from various organisations in India and abroad with a view
to exchange publications and information on roads.
Co-ordinate and conduct correlation services
Collect and disseminate results of research
Channelize consultative services
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16. Road development in India: Present scenario (21st century)
It is categorised as:
• National Highway Development Projects
• Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
• Road Development Plan: Vision 2021
• Rural Road Development plan: Vision 2025
National Highway Development Projects (NHDP)
• Realising the deficiencies in the national highway system in the country, NHAI tool up NHDP
by the year 2000,in two different phases.
• Phase I: Called as ‘Golden Quadrilateral’ covering total length of 5,846 km connecting the
four major metropolitan cities.
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17. • Four sides of quadrilateral are
i. Delhi – Mumbai
ii. Mumbai – Chennai (via Bangalore)
iii. Chennai – Kolkata and
iv. Kolkata – Delhi
This project was started in December 2000 and was planned to be completed in six years.
• Phase II: of NHDP consists of
i. North – South corridor connecting Srinagar to Kanyakumari
ii. East – West corridor connecting Silchar to Porbandar.
• Connecting total length of 7,300 km.
• Additionally, connecting some of the major industrial cities and ports were also taken up
along with these projects.
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18. • Further development of selected stretches of national highways was planned in phases III,
IV, and V.
• Development of expressways was planned as phase VI and improvements of urban road
networks as phase VII
Road Development Plan: Vision 2021
• Prepared by the Indian Road Congress at the initiative of the Ministry of Road Transport
and Highways.
• This vision document has considered the need for overall development of road system in
the country.
• Focusing on achieving total target length of primary and secondary road system in the
country by the year 2020.
• This document has also given special attention for road development needs in North-
Eastern region and other isolated areas.
• Suggestions have been made for development of urban road system based on rapid
growth rate of urban centres.
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19. • Tertiary system of rural roads consisting of other district roads and village roads are to be
developed in order to provide all-weather road connectivity to all the villages of the
country in a phased manner.
• Considering the importance of this subject, a rural road development plan document was
prepared.
Rural Road Development Plan: Vision 2025
• It is a separate document prepared for the 20 year period (2005-2025) at the initiative of
the Ministry of Rural Development, GOI.
• District wise rural road development plans have been prepared.
• This vision document targets to provide connectivity to all unconnected habitations of the
country in a phased manner beyond the norms laid down in PMGSY.
• Lower population limits were fixed for under developed regions including hills, deserts and
tribal areas.
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