Career in Highway Engineering in India: Recently, I read an article about the greatest invention of all time, which has changed the world by its role in our development. I found the wheel at the top of the chart with no surprise. A world without a revolution is impossible to think about, but a wheel without a road is just like a kingdom without a King. Talking about the road network in India, it is considered the 2nd largest road network globally. At 0.66 km of roads per square kilometre of land, the quantitative density of India’s roads is far greater than many of the developed nations in the world. This article will give you depth info on Highway Engineering.
We all love to drive on the road until we don’t encounter any street crater but do we even think of the people who made the road to make our journey comfortable..? According to national data, till 2011, 54% (about 2.53 million kilometres of Indian roads) were paved. Still, we have a long mile to go, making Highway engineering one of the hottest career options in India. Every year, Authorities regularly demand a team of highly qualified highway engineers to maintain the paved ones and make the new ones.
What is Highway Engineering?
Highway engineering is an extended branch of civil engineering that involves various work related to Highways like planning, designing a new one, constructing, operation and maintenance of paved roads or bridges or tunnels. As a Highway Engineer, your work would be to ensure the safety and effective transportation of people and goods.
Who can choose Highway Engineering?
Unlike other branches of engineering, where we have a lot of seniors and Councillors to guide us, the field of Highway Engineering is a bit unusual as it’s challenging to find a mentor at the early stage. But suppose you want to become a trendsetter by opting for Highway engineering as a career option. In that case, you must have a civil engineering degree with a specialisation in Highway and transport engineering for two years at the postgraduate level. As a highway engineer, you will take account of future traffic flows by designing highways. So if you also dream of making a difference by connecting millions with the mainstream, then the world of Highway engineering has so many things for you.
Future Prospects
According to a survey conducted in 2010, India has less than 3.8 km of roads per 1000 people, making it one of the lowest highway-density countries in the world. However, the recent dedication of the government towards good governance has acted as a catalyst, and now India has joined the race with global leaders to ensure better transportation. The government runs various national-level projects to link every village with the nearby town. To assist the project, a large group of skilled Highway engineers is constantly hired by government and private organisations, making it one of India’s most sought-after career options.
Career Opportunity
Private construction companies like ABB, L&T, DMR, Reliance Infrastructure, Gammon India, etc., hold large projects employing highway engineers with whopping salaries. Highway Engineers can also find their way into various government PWD departments, Harbors, Border roads organisations etc.
Where to Apply
Globalisation and its effect on the education sectors mark the institution’s opening with world-class facilities in India. You don’t have to go to any foreign university to pursue a course. There are so many institutions available in India that provide highway engineering courses, but to select the college, candidates are advised to research the history and reputation of the college. Various institutions offering highway engineering courses in India are as follows.
| S.No. | College Name |
| 1. | B.M.S College of Engineering- Bangalore |
| 2. | Dayanand Sagar College of Engineering- Karnataka |
| 3. | Tripura Engineering College- Tripura |
| 4. | Birla Viswakarma Mahavidyalaya- Gujrat |
| 5. | M.B.M Engineering College-Rajasthan |
| 6. | University College of Engineering- Orissa |
| 7. | Anna University- Chennai |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q.1: What does a highway engineer do?
Ans: Highway engineering is an engineering discipline branching from civil engineering that involves the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of roads, bridges, and tunnels to ensure the safe and effective transportation of people and goods.
Q.2: What do we need for our highways?
Ans: Roads contribute to economic development and growth and bring significant social benefits. They are of vital importance to making a nation grow and develop. In addition, providing access to employment, social, health and education services makes a road network crucial in fighting against poverty.
Q.3: What is the most significant problem engineers face today?
Ans: 8 of the Greatest Challenges Facing Engineering
1. The climate crisis.
2. Making water clean and accessible.
3. Providing enough food.
4. Personalised and relevant education.
5. Improving health care.
6. The refugee crisis.
7. Cybersecurity.
8. Enlisting the youth.
