Roads are still attracting billions. The world’s biggest projects show where investment is flowing. Credit: ISHOWCAM/Shutterstock

When it comes to the top road construction projects, leading Glodalata’s ranking is Indonesia’s Trans-Sumatra Highway. Valued at $29.8bn and stretching 3,000km, the project is one of the most ambitious road programmes currently under development anywhere in the world. It also sets the tone for a ranking dominated by large-scale transport corridors designed to improve connectivity across entire regions.

Asia is the clear centre of gravity when it comes to the top road construction projects.

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China accounts for five of the 20 projects, including the $14.8bn Shanghai Zhoushan-Ningbo Cross-Sea Channel and the $14bn Kuitun-Dushanzi-Kuqa Expressway. India contributes four entries, among them the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, Shaktipeeth Expressway and the Andhra Pradesh Coastal Highway.

Taken together, the figures reveal the extent to which road infrastructure remains central to economic development strategies across the region.

Length does not always correlate with cost. While the Trans-Sumatra Highway spans thousands of kilometres, the Shanghai Zhoushan-Ningbo Cross-Sea Channel carries one of the largest budgets in the ranking despite measuring just 177km. The contrast highlights the significant costs associated with complex crossings and challenging engineering environments.

Nor is the investment story confined to Asia.

The US has three projects in the top 20, including the Interstate 5 Bridge Replacement and the I-45 North Houston Highway Improvement Project. Elsewhere, major schemes in Nigeria, Romania, New Zealand, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea and the Philippines demonstrate that governments continue to view road networks as critical economic infrastructure.

The table offers a useful snapshot of where major opportunities are taking shape. Some of the top road construction projects are already under way. Others remain in planning, design or procurement. Together, they represent one of the largest concentrations of transport infrastructure spending in the global pipeline.

Extracted and interpreted from a GlobalData report and project-tracking data. Figures and examples cited are attributed to GlobalData’s project pipeline insights.

To access the full report, visit the GlobalData Construction Intelligence Centre: www.globaldata.com/industries/construction.