Karak Resources Project

Why did the Romans build roads? The Romans considered a well-organized and efficient transportation system a basic element of proper administration; i.e. an indispensable element in creating and maintaining the Roman state. The earliest highways or main roads were constructed for the use of the military, and their economic benefit for civilians was a later byproduct and not the main reason for their creation. The military nature of the roads continued to be essential as Roman expanded into territory outside Italy. In the province of Arabia Petraea (which included what is now Jordan), the movement of troops and ease of communication for the army and Roman administration were the primarily reasons for construction of the Via Nova, one of the many viae militares or military roads built in conquered provinces. However, smaller, shorter, and less well-constructed local roads (actus) or tracks (callis) also increased in territory after it was brought under Roman control. Nevertheless, the main public highways (viae publicae) normally began as military roads and only gradually evolved into civilian conduits.