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Rural roads
In rural areas, particularly in developing countries, the road network may not be highly developed – roads could be paved, gravel or even completely unpaved dust tracks.
Whatever the structure, these roads are key economic drivers, providing essential links between villages and farms and their local and regional markets. Roads also provide wider social benefits, giving rural and often isolated communities vital access to schools and hospitals.
Challenges
Shell Bitumen's product portfolio provides cost-effective, durable solutions for rural roads.
Creating and maintaining an effective road network for rural areas is essential in supporting rural economies. The challenges faced by rural roads include:
- Improving durability, particularly under intense rainfall and monsoon conditions;
- Reducing or eliminating the dust that gravel/earth roads produce;
- Providing a system that can be operated easily without complex machinery, using locally sourced aggregate;
- Providing an affordable paving system that can be financed by local government and communities; and
- Delivering materials to remote areas.
Solutions
We provide sustainable solutions to improve the quality of life for local rural communities.
We have developed solutions such as Shell Instapave, manufactured on site, using binder that can be transported cold in drums. And, being fully mobile and not needing the batch plant, it can be used in remote areas. It has been used successfully in the Philippines, India and El Salvador.
We recognise that a strong road network is a lifeline to rural communities, especially in countries where budgets are considerably restrained. We offer durability and quality whilst recognising that the roads often see relatively low volumes of traffic.
We do not over-engineer products but offer fit-for-purpose solutions that provide value-for-money.
Solutions For...
