Editing Transport in Timor-Leste (section)

===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.