Road Construction Industry Outlook
Road construction companies play an integral role in the development of a country’s infrastructure, impacting the ability of people and goods to get where they need to go. Because of this, demand in the road construction market is driven primarily by government projects, population growth, and the need to build and repair infrastructure. Large-scale projects call for the resources and expertise of the biggest highway and road construction companies, firms that can design and build complex structures and road networks.
While some of the biggest road construction companies have global operations, each country has its own set of industry leaders. Countries with large physical distances to cover, growing populations, advanced infrastructure, and challenging environments have high demand for road and highway construction companies, and some of these markets are home to thousands or even tens of thousands of contractors. According to data and analytics company Dun & Bradstreet, China has the highest number of road construction companies by far, with more than twice as many as any other country.
Top Countries in Terms of Highway and Road Construction Companies
- China
- Japan
- South Korea
- United States
- India
- Poland
- Russia
- Singapore
- Italy
- Taiwan
- Brazil
- United Kingdom
Road Construction Companies Face COVID-19 Challenges
While the global road construction market is currently declining due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, expected to lose a few billion dollars in value during 2020, it will likely recover soon and grow significantly over the next few years. The industry is currently facing supply chain disruptions and the challenge of operating safely and with maintaining enough workers during the pandemic, but once international shipping and travel has recovered sufficiently, the high demand for road and highway construction companies globally will help the industry recover.
Road Construction Market in China
The Chinese market has been on the rise for the past several years as urbanization and vehicle ownership increase, along with growing freight transportation. The government has been investing strongly in the market, and the total length of roads in China increased by close to half a million kilometers between 2014 and 2019. The total length of highways also rose by roughly 36,000 kilometers during that time. According to IBISWorld, the market was worth $416 billion in 2019, and employed over 870,000 people. China’s largest road construction companies include Sichuan Railway Investment Group Co. Ltd., China Communications Construction Company Limited, and Hunan Road & Bridge Construction Group Corp., among others.
Leading Road Construction Companies in China
- Sichuan Railway Investment Group Co. Ltd.
- China Communications Construction Company Limited
- Hunan Road & Bridge Construction Group Corp.
- Guangdong Provincial Communications Group Co. Ltd.
- Fujian Road & Bridge Construction Co. Ltd.
- Hebei Road and Bridge Group Co. Ltd.
- Inner Mongolia Highway Construction Development Co. Ltd.
- Liaoning Road and Bridge Construction Group Co. Ltd.
- Shaanxi Provincial Communication Construction Group
- Yunnan Highway and Bridge Co. Ltd.
Road Construction Market in India
Business is booming in India. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has begun an ambitious development program that involves the creation of 65,000 kilometers of national highways, with roughly half of that planned to be implemented over the next five years. The government’s investment amounts to billions of dollars as the country looks to create mass employment opportunities for its citizens. India is home to a number of prominent highway road construction companies.
Leading Road Construction Companies in India
- IRB Infrastructure Developers Ltd., Mumbai
- Dilip Buildcon Ltd (DBL), Bhopal
- JMC Projects (India) Ltd., Mumbai
- Tata Projects, Secunderabad
- L & T Construction (LnT ECC), Chennai
- Gayatri Projects, Hyderabad
- AFCONS Infrastructure, Mumbai
- HCC, Mumbai
- G. Infra Engineering (HGIEL), Jaipur
- NCC Infra, Hyderabad
- Bhartia Infra Projects Ltd, Guwahati
Road Construction Market in the US
The US is another key region for road and highway construction companies, though not as strong as countries such as China. Reaching $120 billion in 2019, growth has been relatively stagnant over the past few years as federal and state governments have budgeted conservatively for transport infrastructure. However, as the US is one of the largest countries in the world in terms of geographical size and is home to hundreds of millions of people, there are still many opportunities for highway-building companies and road construction firms, and the industry is expected to see modest growth in 2020 and beyond. The road construction market in the US is a fragmented one, with no on player holding more than a 5% share.
Leading American Road Construction Companies
- Granite Construction Inc.
- The Lane Construction Corporation
- Kiewit Corporation
Who Are the Biggest Road Construction Companies in the World?
The global road construction market is vast and diverse, with different companies leading the market in different regions. Here are some of the largest road and highway construction companies from key countries in the industry.
Road Construction Company |
Revenue (USD billions) |
Country |
| AFCONS Infrastructure | 1.19 | India |
| China Communications Construction Company Limited | 79.3 | China |
| Dilip Buildcon Ltd. | 1.2 | India |
| Granite Construction Inc. | 3.31 | US |
| Hunan Road and Bridge Construction Group Co., Ltd. | N/A | China |
| Kiewit Corporation | 10.3 | US |
| The Lane Construction Corporation | 0.85 | Us |
| Sichuan Railway Investment Group Co. Ltd. | N/A | China |
| Tata Projects | 1.42 | India |
AFCONS Infrastructure (India)
Founded in 1959 as a partnership between Rodio Foundation Engineering Limited and Hazarat and Company, AFCONS is part of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group, one of the largest construction groups in India. The company operates in the marine and industrial, surface transport, rail and metro, oil and gas, and hydro and underground sectors. It has numerous projects in India and around the world, including roads, bridges, tunnels, marine works, and more.
China Communications Construction Company Limited (China)
CCCC was founded by China Communications Construction Group (CCCG) and incorporated in 2006. It is a state-owned transportation infrastructure group that has ventured into the international market. The company is involved in the design and construction of transportation infrastructure, dredging, and heavy machinery manufacturing. In the road and highway industry, CCCC’s business areas include roads, bridges, railways, tunnels, road machinery manufacturing, and international project contracting. CCCC is one of China’s leading road and bridge construction companies, and has more than 30 subsidiaries.
Dilip Buildcon Ltd. (India)
Founded in 1987, Dilip Buildcon (DBL) has become a leader in engineering, procurement, and construction. The civil engineering company entered road construction in 2003 and has spread from its home state of Madhya Pradesh across the country. It develops, operates, and maintains roads, bridges, tunnels, high capacity transport corridors, and more. As of 2019, DBL employed over 35,000 people with revenue growth of 18% over the previous year.
Granite Construction Inc. (US)
Founded in 1922, Granite develops infrastructure solutions across the Americas, including urban and rural transit programs throughout the US. The company partners with federal, state, and private organizations to design and build freeway systems. Its transportation operations include solutions for traffic congestion, long-term maintenance, reduction of environmental impact, and more. Granite also operates in the water infrastructure and mineral exploration markets.
Hunan Road and Bridge Construction Group Co., Ltd. (China)
Hunan Road and Bridge was founded in 1954 and is a state-owned enterprise that builds roads, bridges, tunnels, and other transportation infrastructure. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hunan Communications Water Conservancy Construction Group, and its business spans highways, municipalities, rail transit, and other infrastructure construction.
Kiewit Corporation (US)
Kiewit began as a masonry contracting company in 1884 and has since grown into a Fortune 500 corporation operating in the construction, mining, and engineering sectors. The company’s business areas include building; mining; industrial; power; oil, gas, and chemical; transportation; and water/wastewater. Kiewit is one of the largest transportation contractors in North America and has recently expanded into Australia as well. It constructs and upgrades interstates, highways and bridges; rail lines and rail yards; urban mass transit systems; and airport runways, taxiways and associated facilities.
The Lane Construction Corporation (US)
Lane has been in operation since 1890, developing transportation and heavy civil construction products and services in more than 20 states across the US. The company operates in the sectors of highways and bridges; rail, metro and mass transit; tunneling; civil and industrial buildings, airports; and power and energy, locks and dams. Lane works with both public and private sectors to design and develop transportation initiatives. As of 2016, Lane is a wholly owned subsidiary of Salini Impregilo U.S. Holdings, Inc.
Sichuan Railway Investment Group Co. Ltd. (China)
Another state-owned corporation, Sichuan Railway Investment Group (SRIG) began operations in 2008. Its business areas include investment, construction, and the operation of natural and provincial railways and highways. The company has a presence in five major industries: engineering construction, resource development, new urbanization, modern service, and modern agriculture. It does business both within China and internationally in Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia, Russia, Australia, and other regions. SRIG operates in the road construction industry through its subsidiary Sichuan Road & Bridge Group.
Tata Projects (India)
Tata Projects is a leading Indian road construction company with projects across the country and internationally in regions such as Europe, Africa, East Asia, and Brazil. It operates in the power, water, metals and minerals, oil and gas, space and nuclear, transportation, and urban infrastructure sectors. The company provides comprehensive solutions in the transportation industry, including metro rail projects, highways, and public transportation.
A Diverse Global Industry
These road construction company profiles cover only a few industry leaders from top countries in the market. There are many others around the world, competing for a share of this fragmented market. Explore BizVibe for more on the biggest road construction companies of 2020.
