Planning for accessibility and rural roads

Recognizing the benefits of investment in rural road development, many countries have considered extensive rural road development programmes in their countries. As a result, vast networks of rural roads have been developed in many developing countries of the region. However, countries have faced a number of challenges in implementing such programmes. The major challenge in rural road development is both to expand road networks in order to provide access to remote areas and to upgrade and maintain already existing roads. The positive experiences of countries that have successfully met these challenges are worth sharing. In consideration of the importance and interest in the subject, the bulletin discusses on the following issues: Quantification of accessibility and prioritization of villages for local level planning; Choice of Bituminous Otta Seal Surfacing - An Economic Pavement Surfacing for Low Volume Roads; Development of a Sustainable Rural Roads Maintenance System in India: Key Issues; and Rural Road Maintenance in China.