Rural Roads: The Drama the Countryside Suffers in Silence and the State Ignores

While public discussions about agriculture revolve around withholdings or dollar inflows, there is a reality that only comes to light during climate disasters: the deterioration of rural roads. A recent study by the Argentine University of the Enterprise (UADE) focuses on this key road system for the country and illustrates the policies adopted by other countries that consider rural roads as a pillar of development.

The report also gathers responses from a survey conducted with producers in the Salado basin and southeastern Buenos Aires: 79% of producers consider them bad or very bad; 75% say they are not passable year-round; 68% suffered economic losses; and 59% estimate cost overruns above 10%. This data is an alarm signal ahead of an upcoming El Niño event starting next spring, which could bring excessive rainfall.

The country has over 500,000 kilometers of rural roads (dirt and gravel), representing 82% of its road network. About 260,000 kilometers are in the Pampas region. “Rural roads fulfill a function that goes beyond transporting agricultural goods: they facilitate access to health, education, security, connectivity, and development opportunities, contributing to rootedness and better population distribution across the territory,” says the study led by Claudio David González, director of the Department of Agronomy and Environment at UADE.

The best examples found abroad, according to the report, could help the country finally prioritize this issue. Australia, for instance, considers rural roads a key national asset for its export economy. The federal government funds specific programs for local networks, complementing municipal management. It also incorporates technology to improve safety and reduce maintenance costs. The goal is not only for rural residents to travel but to ensure products reach international markets on time and in good condition.

China, meanwhile, transformed its rural network as part of a national territorial development strategy. Each level of government has clearly defined responsibilities and allocated resources. It also uses sensors, drones, and artificial intelligence to monitor road conditions and detect problems before they become major failures. In the Netherlands, road infrastructure is integrated with water management. Roads help manage water surpluses and reserves, especially relevant for facing extreme weather events. Infrastructure is designed with long-term resilience and sustainability criteria.

The United States has a rural road network primarily managed by local governments but based on permanent evaluation systems that allow knowing the condition of each segment and prioritizing investments. Management relies on objective information and multi-year plans, avoiding improvisation. In short, each country, with its particularities, treats it as a state policy concept.

The good news from the UADE report is that Argentina already has examples of successful management in the use of rural roads. Among them, for instance, the Rural Services Consortium (Caser) of General Madariaga, where producers and the municipality manage the road fee and maintenance of about 740 kilometers of rural roads. Recently, a similar initiative was launched in Cañuelas. Another encouraging fact from the study is that seven out of ten producers said they were willing to collaborate with municipal and provincial authorities in the care or maintenance of the tertiary road network.

In short, if agriculture breaks productivity records, the waterway is modernized, and agricultural machinery incorporates artificial intelligence, for example, it is absurd that thousands of kilometers of roads still depend on the weather.

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