Roads are fundamental to economies and social well-being. They connect people with opportunities and everyday essentials. But despite their essential nature, one billion people globally still live more than 2 kilometers from an all-season road. The need for roads is immense and building them requires strategic planning. Long before the asphalt is actually laid, the right choices need to be made regarding road construction. One tool that helps authorities make critical decisions is The Highway Design and Maintenance Standards Model (HDM), a software package developed by the World Bank and partners that is as important to road projects as asphalt or medians.

Now in it is fourth iteration, HDM-4 enables authorities to analyze, plan, manage, and appraise roads. The software helps governments decide which interventions - such as simple maintenance, rehabilitation or reconstruction - are needed, and where. Some form of HDM has been used for over four decades to guide and evaluate the economics of investments in road projects. - blog.wb.org/blogs

A version of this article appears in the print on August 5, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.