Roads in Nepal are classified according to different guidelines & standards developed by the government of Nepal. The major guidelines are Nepal Road Standard 2070 (NRS 2070), Nepal Rural Road Standard 2071 (NRRS 2071), Nepal Urban Road Standard 2076 (NURS 2076), etc.
Nepal Road Standard 2070
According to Nepal Road Standard 2070, the roads in Nepal can be classified as follows:
- Administrative Classification
- National Highways
- Feeder Roads
- District Roads
- Urban Roads
- Technical/Functional Classification
- Class I
- Class II
- Class III
- Class IV
Administrative Classification
Administrative classification of roads is intended to assign national importance & level of government responsible for the overall management and financing methods.
1. National Highways
These are the major roads running east to west & north to south of the country.
2. Feeder Roads
These are the roads connecting the district headquarters, major economic centers & tourism centers to national highways or other feeder roads.
3. District Roads
These are the roads within a district, serving areas of production & markets, and connecting with each other & with the main highways.
4. Urban Roads
These are the road within an urban municipality.
In Nepal, the overall management of national highways & feeder roads comes under the responsibility of the Department of Road (DOR). And these roads are collectively called Strategic Road Network (SRN). The district roads & urban roads fall under the responsibility of the Department of Local Infrastructure Development & Agricultural Roads (DOLIDAR). And these roads are collectively called Local Road Network (LRN).
Technical / Functional Classification
Nepal Rural Road Standard 2071
According to Nepal Rural Road Standard 2055, 2nd revision 2071, the rural roads in Nepal are classified as below:
- District Road Core Network (DRCN)
- Village Road
1. District Road Core Network (DRCN)
It is an important road joining a VDC HQ's office or nearest economic center to the district headquarters, via either a neighboring district headquarters or the Strategic Road Network.
2. Village Road
Smaller roads not falling under District Road Core Network category are Village Roads, including other Agricultural Road.
Nepal Urban Road Standard 2076
According to Nepal Urban Road Standard 2076, the urban roads are classified as follows:
- Arterial Roads (Path)
- Sub-arterials Roads (Sadak)
- Collector Roads (Marg)
- Local Roads (Upa-Marg)
1. Arterial Roads (Path)
These are the roads generally meant for through traffic usually on a continuous route.
2. Sub-arterial Roads (Sadak)
These are the roads of the somewhat lower levels of travel mobility than the arterial roads.
3. Collector Roads (Marg)
A collector road is one intended for collecting & distributing traffic to and from local roads & also providing the access to arterial/sub-arterial roads.
4. Local Roads (Upa-Marg)
A local road is one primarily intended for access to the residence, business, and other abutting property.