Editing Transport in Timor-Leste (section)

==Roadways==
===Overview===
Timor-Leste has a road network of {{cvt|6,041|km}}, of which about {{cvt|2,600|km}} of roads are paved, and about {{cvt|3,440|km}} are unpaved.

The road network is made up of national roads linking municipal capitals (~{{cvt|1500|km}}), municipal roads linking municipal capitals to towns and villages (~{{cvt|870|km}}), urban roads within urban areas (~{{cvt|717|km}}) and rural roads within rural areas (~{{cvt|3112|km}}).<ref>{{cite web |title=2.3 Timor-Leste Road Network - Logistics Capacity Assessment - Digital Logistics Capacity Assessments |url=https://lca.logcluster.org/23-timor-leste-road-network |website=dlca.logcluster.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240918171120/https://lca.logcluster.org/23-timor-leste-road-network |archive-date=18 September 2024 |url-status=live |publisher=[[World Food Programme]] |access-date=5 February 2025}}</ref>

As of 2003, Timor-Leste's main arterial roads were located along the north coast, and there were good sealed roads in and around urban centres. The central mountain ridge is rugged with a maximum elevation of {{cvt|3000|m}} [[Height above mean sea level|AMSL]]. In 2003, it could be crossed by road in several places, but the mountain roads were poorly maintained unsealed one-two lane tracks. Roads on the south coast were mostly unsealed and in poor condition.<ref name="unescap 2003">{{cite report |author= |date=2003 |title=Atlas of Mineral Resources of the ESCAP Region |volume=17 Geology and Mineral Resources of Timor-Leste |url=http://www.unescap.org/esd/publications/AMRS17.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130319093215/http://www.unescap.org/esd/publications/AMRS17.pdf |archive-date=19 March 2013 |location=New York |publisher=[[United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific]] (UNESCAP) |page=6 |docket= |access-date=5 February 2025}}</ref>

In a 2015 survey reported by the World Bank, 57% of the rural roads were rated either bad or poor.

While under Portuguese rule, East Timor's road system, like the road network in all Portuguese colonies, adhered to right-hand drive. After the Indonesian takeover in 1975, the roads were made to switch to left-hand drive (like virtually all of present-day Indonesia). Upon independence in 2002 the left-hand traffic rule was retained.

===National roads===
Timor-Leste has 20 arterial roads, designated as A-class roads (national roads), as follows:<ref name="jica 2010">{{cite web |title=The Project for the Capacity Development of Road Works in Timor: Outline of the Project {{!}} Technical Cooperation Projects |url=https://www.jica.go.jp/project/english/easttimor/001/outline/index.html |website=[[Japan International Cooperation Agency]] (JICA) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130129184155/https://www.jica.go.jp/project/english/easttimor/001/outline/index.html |archive-date=29 January 2013 |access-date=5 October 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! scope="col" | {{abbr|No|Road number}}
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | From
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | To
! scope="col" | Length<br />(km)
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Length<br />(mi)
|-
|{{nts|prefix=A0|01}}
|[[Dili]]
|Com, Lautém
|{{Convert|203.9|km|mi|disp = table}}
|-
|{{nts|prefix=A0|2}}<sup><1</sup>
|[[Dili]]
|[[Suai, Timor-Leste|Suai]]
|{{Convert|176.4|km|mi|disp = table}}
|-
|{{nts|prefix=A0|3}}
|[[Dili]]
|[[Mota Ain]]
|{{Convert|118.2|km|mi|disp = table}}
|-
|{{nts|prefix=A0|3}}'
|[[Batugade]]
|[[Maliana]]
|{{Convert|42.4|km|mi|disp = table}}
|-
|{{nts|prefix=A0|4}}
|{{ill|Tibar|de}}
|[[Ermera]]
|{{Convert|46.8|km|mi|disp = table}}
|-
|{{nts|prefix=A0|5}}
|{{ill|Aitotu|de}}
|[[Betano]]
|{{Convert|55.6|km|mi|disp = table}}
|-
|{{nts|prefix=A0|6}}
|[[Baucau]]
|[[Viqueque]]
|{{Convert|64.9|km|mi|disp = table}}
|-
|{{nts|prefix=A0|7}}
|[[Viqueque]]
|{{ill|Uma Boco|de|lt=Natarbora}}
|{{Convert|46.0|km|mi|disp = table}}
|-
|{{nts|prefix=A0|8}}
|[[Lautém (city)|Lautém]]
|[[Viqueque]]
|{{Convert|121.7|km|mi|disp = table}}
|-
|{{nts|prefix=A0|9}}
|[[Manatuto]]
|{{ill|Uma Boco|de|lt=Natarbora}}
|{{Convert|79.5|km|mi|disp = table}}
|-
|{{nts|prefix=A|10}}
|[[Ermera]]
|{{ill|Colimau|de|lt=Hauba}}
|{{Convert|66.9|km|mi|disp = table}}
|-
|{{nts|prefix=A|11}}
|[[Maliana]]
|[[Ermera]]
|{{Convert|64.7|km|mi|disp = table}}
|-
|{{nts|prefix=A|12}}
|[[Zumalai]]
|[[Maliana]]
|{{Convert|52.5|km|mi|disp = table}}
|-
|{{nts|prefix=A|13}}
|Cassa
|{{ill|Ai-Assa|de|lt=Aiassa}}
|{{Convert|25.1|km|mi|disp = table}}
|-
|{{nts|prefix=A|14}}
|[[Betano]]
|{{ill|Uma Boco|de|lt=Natarbora}}
|{{Convert|47.7|km|mi|disp = table}}
|-
|{{nts|prefix=A|15}}
|[[Suai, Timor-Leste|Suai]]
|Uemassa
|{{Convert|27.5|km|mi|disp = table}}
|-
|{{nts|prefix=A|16}}
|Uele'o
|{{ill|Tilomar|de}}
|{{Convert|33.4|km|mi|disp = table}}
|-
|{{nts|prefix=A|17}}
|[[Pante Macassar]]
|[[Oesilo]]
|{{Convert|25.3|km|mi|disp = table}}
|-
|{{nts|prefix=A|18}}
|[[Pante Macassar]]
|[[Citrana]]
|{{Convert|44.9|km|mi|disp = table}}
|-
|{{nts|prefix=A|19}}
|[[Pante Macassar]]
|[[Sacato, Timor-Leste|Sacato]]
|{{Convert|14.8|km|mi|disp = table}}
|- style="background: #EAECF0;"
|colspan="3" style=text-align:right|'''Total'''
|{{Convert|1358.2|km|mi|disp = table}}
|-
|}

In October 2016, the [[East Timor]]ese government symbolically launched a rehabilitation project for the [[Dili]]–[[Manatuto]]–[[Baucau]] national road. Construction was to be undertaken in two sections, Dili–Manatuto, and Manatuto–Baucau, in each case by a Chinese construction company. The project was financed by the General State Budget, and also from a loan fund from the Japanese government, through the [[Japan International Cooperation Agency]] (JICA). It was due to be completed in mid-2019,<ref name=":0" /> and the completed road was officially inaugurated on 26 August 2022.<ref name="jica 2022-08-29">{{cite web |title=National Road No.1, Closely Connecting Dili and Baucau, Opens Under Timor-Leste's First Loan Project |url=https://www.jica.go.jp/english/news/press/2022/20220829_21_en.html |website=[[Japan International Cooperation Agency]] |access-date=4 September 2022 |date=29 August 2022}}</ref>

According to a road network connectivity quality assessment published in September 2019, the national road network already satisfactorily connected all national activity centres for all
types of vehicles in circulation. However, some of the road segments needed to be improved, in terms of road width, drainage, geometric design and traffic facilities.<ref name="babo 2019-09">{{cite journal |last1=Babo |first1=Frans de Jesus |last2=Suprayitno |first2=Hitapriya |title=Road Network Connectivity Quality {{sic|Asses|ment|nolink=y}} for Timor Leste National Road Network |journal=Journal of Infrastructure and Facility Asset Management |date=September 2019 |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=113–212, at 120 |url=https://iptek.its.ac.id/index.php/jifam/article/download/5974/3969 |access-date=28 February 2022}}</ref>