Classification Of Roads: Types Of Roads In India Explained

What Is Road?

A road could be a wide way leading from one place to a different place, typically one with a usually prepared surface that vehicles can use.

The road consists of one or two roadways, each with one, two, or more lanes and related to a path for walking and road verges.

A path for bikes, a road for bicycles, could also be parallel or not with another road. There are various names of roads like highways, parkways, roadways, thoroughfares, streets, expressways, carriageways, bypasses, lanes, etc.

Importance Of Roads In India

India is a huge country, and the economic prosperity of the country depends upon its products and economic transportation to the marketing centers.
Roads play a crucial role in the defense of our country also cultural progress.
India may be a country of villages, but more attention is given to the roads of national importance than the district or village roads.
Road makes a giant contribution to economic development and growth and conveys important social benefits.
The roads provide access to employment, social, health, and education services making a road network in fighting against poverty.
For the overall development of the country, the road infrastructure is most vital.

Classification of roads is generally supported by the subsequent conditions

Classification Of Roads

According to traffic
According to transported tonnage
According to importance
According to location and performance

The classification of roads supported traffic volume of tonnage has been arbitrarily fixed by different agencies and there might not be a standard agreement regarding the bounds for every classification group.

Based on traffic volume the roads are classified as follows

Sr.no.	Types of road	Vehicles per day
1.	Very heavy traffic roads	Above 600
2.	Heavy traffic roads	251 to 600
3.	Medium traffic roads	70 to 250
4.	Light traffic roads	Below 70

Low Traffic Roads

Low-traffic roads are roads that carry less than 400 vehicles on average per day and is understood as low-traffic roads.
For example- village roads, and rural roads.

Medium Traffic Roads

Medium-traffic roads carrying
400 to 1000 vehicles per day on a mean.
For example – District roads

High Traffic Roads

High-traffic roads carrying quite more than 1000 vehicles per day.
For example – National highways and State highways.

Classification of roads as per transported tonnage

Supported total tonnage per day, the roads are classified as follows

Sr.no.	Type of road	Vehicles per day(m3)
1.	Very heavy traffic roads	Above 1524
2.	Heavy traffic roads	1017 to 1524
3.	Medium traffic roads	508 to 1017
4.	Light traffic roads	Below 508

Classification of roads consistent with the importance

According to the importance of connecting holy places, major cities, and stations of the strategic importance of roads or classified as

Class I roads
Class II roads
Class III roads
Classification-supported location and performance

Nagpur road plan classified the road in India supported location and performance into following

State Highways (SH)
Major District Roads (MDR)
Other District Roads (ODR)
Village Roads (VR)

Classification Of Roads By Nagpur Road Plan

The various categories of roads in keeping with the Nagpur Road Plan are as follows

National Highways (NH)

The National Highways in India square measure a network of trunk roads in hand by the ministry of road transport and highways.
The responsibility for the construction and maintenance of the national highways is on the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL).
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) are the nodal agencies chargeable for building, upgrading, and maintaining the National Highways network.
It works beneath the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
The National Highways Development Project (NHDP) plays a vital role to expand and upgrade the network of highways.
The
main highways running through the length and breadth of India, change of integrity major elements, capital of states, large industrial and tourist centers, foreign highways including roads required for strategic movements for the defense of India, etc. are referred to as National Highways.
National Highways consist of 2.7% of India’s total road network but carried about 40% of road traffic.
The existing highways are now 4 lanes i.e. two lanes in each direction, though most of them is being expected to have 6 or more lanes.
All the National Highways are assigned the respective numbers.
Amritsar-Ambala-Delhi Road – NH1
Delhi-Agra-Kanpur-Kolkata road -NH2
Agra-Mumbai road -NH3
Matura-Rameswaram -NH4
Golden Quadrilateral is the biggest project of the National Highway network connecting most of the most important industrial, agricultural, and cultural centers of India.

State Highways (SH)

The highways linking up with the national highways of adjacent states and major cities and district headquarters are referred to as state highways.
The network of roads is maintained by the state government (regime) in India.
Public Works Department is managing and constructing the state highways.
The state highways join the important cities, towns, and district headquarters in the state and connect with National Highways.
State Highways is additionally referred to as provincial route, state road, provincial road, state route, and provincial highway.
The state highway is maintained by sub-national highways.
State highways have widths of 7m to 10m.
It carries up to fast traffic.
The geometric design specification and design speed for National Highway and State Highway is the same.
The responsibility of construction and maintenance is on the state government and the central government gives grants for development.

Major District Roads(MDR)

The important road with a locality connecting production and markets places with one another or with most highways are referred to as ‘Major District Roads’.
District authorities and state government give for grant development.
The width of district roads is from 5m to 8m.
District roads carry moderate traffic.

Other District Roads(ODR)

The roads connecting market centers, the tahsil headquarters, and the train depot in the district are referred to as other district roads.
These roads serve rural areas of production and provide them with outlets to main stations.
In comparison with the major district roads, the design specification of other district roads is low.

Village Roads(V.R.)

The roads which connect villages with one another or with the nearest roads are understood as ‘Village Roads’.
From the purpose of view of agricultural area development, these roads are very important.
Local district authorities have the responsibility for the construction and maintenance of village roads.
They are generally unmetered with a single lane width of stabilized soil or gravel.

FAQs

What is Road?

A road could be a wide way leading from one place to a different place, typically one with a usually prepared surface that vehicles can use.

What is the Importance Of Roads In India

The economic prosperity of the country depends upon its products and economic transportation to the marketing centers.
Roads play a crucial role in the defense of our country also cultural progress.
More attention is given to the roads of national importance than the district or village roads.
Road makes a giant contribution to economic development and growth and conveys important social benefits.
For the overall development of the country, road infrastructure is more vital.