In this article, we will be navigating through the global transportation networks while covering the 20 countries with the best roads in the world. If you wish to skip our detailed analysis, you can move directly to the Top 5 Countries with the Best Roads in the World.
Road Connectivity
An established network of roads is vital to inclusive development since roads offer access to commute. Better access to roads can reduce commute time thereby increasing productivity. The United Nations realizes the significance of road connectivity and has incorporated an index in its Sustainable Development Goals in order to keep track of infrastructure development. This index is based on the proportion of the rural population who live within two kilometers of an all-season road. Generally, the roads linking urban centers are well established while local roads in the neighborhoods are in poor condition or are not fully paved. Hence, a good road transportation network is the one that offers high transit connectivity across the country while enabling access of the rural population to the social and economic centers in the country.
Companies Contributing to Quality Roads Across Countries
Some of the companies engaging in projects related to transportation infrastructure in countries with established road networks include Granite Construction Incorporated (NYSE:GVA), Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN) and AECOM (NYSE:ACM).
Granite Construction Incorporated (NYSE:GVA) is an American civil construction company. The company is involved in both public and private sector transportation infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges and highways. On October 5, Granite Construction Incorporated (NYSE:GVA) reported that the company secured a $45 million contract from the Utah Department of Transportation to expand State Route 108 in Davis County, Utah. This project will transform the existing three-lane asphalt roadway to a five-lane Portland Cement Concrete Pavement road. 21,000 tons of concrete sand and 16,000 tons of concrete aggregates will be utilized for the reconstruction. The project is expected to be completed by November 2025. You can also go through some of the largest construction companies in the US.
Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN) is based in Canada and has worked on numerous roadway projects in Canada, Australia and the United States. On October 16, the company reported that it has been chosen by the City of Rochester to lead the preliminary design for the Inner Loop North Transformation Project which will help connect communities. This $100 million project will be transforming 1.5 miles of the sunken highway into a complete street network by consolidating travel lanes and parallel service roads. Earlier in January, Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN) played its role in urban highway transformation in Texas where a proposed cap over the highway IH-10 was planned by the company to reconnect local neighborhoods that had been divided since the construction of the highway. You can also view the most profitable toll roads in the world.
AECOM (NYSE:ACM) is a leading American infrastructure consulting firm. The company offers advisory, planning, design and construction management services for a wide project portfolio including transportation projects. On September 14, the company reported that it was selected as the lead designer for the I-35 Northeast Expansion (NEX) South Project in Bexar County, Texas. The project will reduce traffic congestion while improving safety and road accessibility. AECOM (NYSE:ACM) will be designing and delivering three elevated express lanes along I-35 in each direction. The company has joined forces with the Texas Department of Transportation to boost mobility in the region. Earlier in May, AECOM (NYSE:ACM) was granted the responsibility to design the expansion of the Yuen Long Highway in Hong Kong in an attempt to increase traffic capacity on the highway.
Now that we have taken a look at global road connectivity and infrastructure companies, we can move to the top 20 countries with the best roads in the world.
Top 20 Countries with the Best Roads in the World
Top 20 Countries with the Best Roads in the World
Our Methodology:
In order to compile a list of the top 20 countries with the best roads in the world, we sourced data from the Road Quality and Mean Speed Score Report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The data was published in May 2022 and represents the latest insights. Mean speed score has been chosen as our metric since it can be used to measure road infrastructure and access gaps. Hence, mean speed between cities has been used as a measure to compare countries across road quality.
The rationale behind choosing mean speed was that this metric covers road quality comprehensively as it includes multiple road factors such as accessibility, surface condition, traffic flow as well as the engineering involved. The IMF has estimated this mean speed between large cities in a country through Google Maps. This has been done by including multiple cities located greater than 80 km from the largest city in a country. Hence, the IMF estimated a measure of the speed from the largest city to each of the other cities and provided the mean speed as a final indicator of road quality for each country. A higher mean speed score depicts a higher share of the rural population with an all-weather road within two kilometers, a higher road density and an improved road quality.
It is to be noted that the quality of road networks is often represented by the Quality of Road Infrastructure (QRI) which we have not included in our research since the measure is subjective and includes perceptions of only those surveyed for instance the business leaders in the case of World Economic Forum’s QRI score.
Finally, we ranked the top 20 countries with the best roads in the world in ascending order of their mean speed score.
Top 20 Countries with the Best Roads in the World
20. Sweden
Mean Speed Score: 94 Kilometers Per Hour
Sweden offers high road coverage and a mean speed of 94 kilometers per hour between its major cities. The national road system has been built to improve safety in addition to considering basic factors such as speed and convenience for passengers. The Swedish roads are deemed safe for cyclists as well.
19. Iran
Mean Speed Score: 94 Kilometers Per Hour
Iran qualifies as one of the top 20 countries with the best roads in the world. The paved road system connects all cities and most of the towns in Iran. The construction, maintenance and development of roads is regularly undertaken in the country. The mean speed between major urban centers in Iran is as high as 94 kilometers per hour.
18. Serbia
Mean Speed Score: 94 Kilometers Per Hour
The mean speed between major Serbian cities is 94 kilometers per hour which ranks Serbia as another top country with high quality roads in the world. The country provides road connections with Western Europe and the Middle East. The road network makes transit easier as it is spread across Serbia.
17. Italy
Mean Speed Score: 95 Kilometers Per Hour
The top 20 countries with the best roads in the world include Italy as well. The mean speed between large cities in Italy is 95 kilometers per hour. In addition to this high mean speed, the country is home to a paved and largely stretched system of motorways. The roads are generally considered safe for commuting.
16.Morocco
Mean Speed Score: 95 Kilometers Per Hour
Morocco has one of the best quality roads in the world. The mean speed between major Moroccan cities is 95 kilometers per hour. The country allocates a major portion of the national budget for the maintenance of roads. The quality of rural roads has also been improved in Morocco.
Granite Construction Incorporated (NYSE:GVA), Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN), and AECOM (NYSE:ACM) continue to offer their services to enhance road transportation networks.
15. Australia
Mean Speed Score: 96 Kilometers Per Hour
The mean speed between major Australian cities is 96 kilometers per hour which makes the country one of the top 20 countries with best roads in the world. The road network is essential to the national economy and spans across the country. The National Highway connects all capital cities and regional centers in the country.
14. Austria
Mean Speed Score: 96 Kilometers Per Hour
Austria ranks as another country with the best roads in the world. The mean speed between urban centers in Austria is as high as 96 kilometers per hour. Regions across the country are well connected through roads. The highways are constantly undergoing expansion and maintenance which adds to the good road quality in Austria.
13. Hungary
Mean Speed Score: 96 Kilometers Per Hour
Hungary has a mean speed of 96 kilometers per hour between its major cities which shows the high connectivity in terms of cross-country transit. The Hungarian motorway network is dense and gives access to all parts of Europe. Intensive construction is done across the motorways and trunk roads which improves the road conditions. The highway network is also well developed as compared to other EU states.
12. Germany
Mean Speed Score: 97 Kilometers Per Hour
Germany’s Autobahn is the federal highway system that qualifies as one of the best highway systems in the world. The roads in Germany are highly maintained to accommodate high traffic levels. The mean speed between major urban areas in Germany is 97 kilometers per hour which ranks the country as one of the top 20 countries with the best roads globally.
11. Czech Republic
Mean Speed Score: 98 Kilometers Per Hour
The mean speed between major cities in the Czech Republic is high which makes it one of the top 20 countries with the best roads in the world. The Czech motorway network is extensive. The country has approximately 2,000 kilometers of the total planned motorway network.
Granite Construction Incorporated (NYSE:GVA), Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN), and AECOM (NYSE:ACM) are some of the leading companies in the road infrastructure services industry.
10. Croatia
Mean Speed Score: 98 Kilometers Per Hour
The motorways in Croatia are known to be one of the best in the world. The country has been investing in improving traffic safety while maintaining the existing road network. This road network enables a mean speed of 98 kilometers per hour between the major urban areas which makes transportation easier and faster in the country.
9. Namibia
Mean Speed Score: 99 Kilometers Per Hour
Namibia is one of the top 20 countries with the best roads in the world. The mean speed between the major cities in Namibia is 99 kilometers per hour. It has one of the most developed road infrastructures in Africa with even the untarred roads being smooth. The expanded roads have granted numerous Namibian communities access to city centers.
8. South Africa
Mean Speed Score: 100 Kilometers Per Hour
The mean speed between major cities in South Africa is 100 kilometers per hour which makes it another country with the best roads in the world. The country is known to be one of the countries in Africa with quality roads. Urban roads are well maintained and the major cities are interconnected through roads.
7. Oman
Mean Speed Score: 102 Kilometers Per Hour
Oman is another country with well developed roads in the world which is depicted by the mean speed of 102 kilometers per hour offered by the roads connecting major cities. The towns in Oman are linked to a system of paved roads and the road infrastructure is modern. The metropolitan areas are also connected. This facilitates cross-country travel in Oman.
6. Spain
Mean Speed Score: 103 Kilometers Per Hour
Spain ranks as one of the top 20 countries with the best roads in the world. The mean speed score between major urban centers in the country is as high as 103 kilometers per hour. The country has a large network of highways and freeways as compared to other countries in the European Union. Road connectivity is also high in Spain
