Author(s)

Paul Sango^*, Mwajuma I. Lingwanda, Gislar Kifanyi

Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering and Technology, Mbeya University of Science and Technology, Mbeya, Tanzania.

Gravel roads are an economical choice where traffic volume is low. Many gravel roads were constructed in rural areas in the Kyela district and they were well-served for many years. Besides the gravel roads, the main challenge faced is the issue of unpaved road condition deterioration by the behaviors of road materials. The study selected three gravel rural roads with a total of 31.24 kilometers as constructed roads to gravel standard. The aim of this study was to assess gravel roads condition to examine trends and behaviors of gravel roads in rural areas. A descriptive analysis was conducted to determine trends and behaviors of gravel roads. The methods used to collect data were observation and physical measurement. The results show that there was more than one road distress identified and assessed on each study road. It was noted that all the study roads had excellent to poor distress conditions associated with poor road materials and lack of maintenance. This study recommended that road authorities improve the current condition by avoiding the use of poor road materials in order to reduce surface deterioration associated.

Unpaved Road Condition, Road Material, Gravel Road, Road Distresses

Sango, P. , Lingwanda, M. and Kifanyi, G. (2022) Assessing Gravel Roads Condition to Examine Trends and Behaviors of Gravel Roads in Rural Areas in Kyela District. Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 10, 50-63. doi: 10.4236/gep.2022.1011004.