Road construction and repair activities, which have an important place in the transportation sector, have been effective in meeting needs such as nutrition, shelter, and security throughout history. However, they have become an area that creates a catalytic effect within the concept of economic development introduced in the 19th century.

Since the second half of the 19th century marked the beginning of a period full of social, economic, and cultural innovations for the Ottoman Empire, road construction and repair activities also played an important role in this innovation and transformation.

In the same period, the scarcity of expenditures related to public works in the budget of the Ottoman Empire continued until the Tanzimat Period, which is considered the beginning of the Renovation Period. However, while agricultural production maintained its weight in budget data during the Renovation Period, market research deeply affected the Ottoman Empire with the decrease in production costs of European countries that completed their industrialization. The Free Trade Agreement signed in 1838 brought the Ottoman Empire to the brink of destruction. This destruction continued from the establishment of the Public Debt Debt Administration (Düyûn-ı Umûmiye) until the State of the Republic of Turkey paid off the debts incurred by this institution. 

These economic, political, and military developments have made it essential to take steps regarding road construction and repair activities, which are among the transportation activities.

The reforms carried out in almost every field after the Tanzimat period became more evident in the second half of the 19th century. At this point, the Right Arm Route on Anatolian lands has become an important area of action within the scope of the projects planned to be implemented. Many pilot applications have been implemented on this route. 

The impact on road construction and repair activities that emerged with the 1861 and 1864 Regulations shifted to a different point with the change in the administrative structuring in line with the 1871 Regulations. Sultan II of the Constitutional Monarchy and Armistice Period took place in the Renewal Period. Abdulhamid employed many local and foreign engineers who were experts in their fields in the state bureaucracy. Through the research carried out by these engineers, he determined the contribution of road construction and repair activities to economic development, giving special importance to road construction and repair activities. Hendese-i Mülkiye and Sanayi-i Nefise Schools fulfilled an important institutional duty in this period.

As a result of the commercial privileges obtained by England on Anatolian lands, it became a great need to transport Western products from port cities to inland centers quickly and without disruption. The most important reason underlying the decrease in profitability rates for Western merchants was that the old Classical-era roads were found to be neglected and inadequate, and this situation was reported by merchant representatives and presented to the central government. The reports and requests that mobilized the administrators of the period tried to implement road construction and repair practices according to their degree of importance.

As an example of this situation, the name of Umûr-ı Ticaret ve Nafia Nezareti was changed to II. It can be shown that it was changed to the Ministry of Public Works within the framework of the modernization efforts of the Abdulhamid Period. Because the complex structure of this ministry, which was called by different names during the period we conducted research, and its frequent mergers and separations with other ministries, prevented the process of road construction and repair activities from proceeding effectively and efficiently.

The impact of road construction and repair activities on the economic structure should be sought in providing opportunities for social and economic contacts rather than being carried out according to superior standards. For this reason, the activities of engineers and bureaucrats involved in the work carried out in this field were vital to the Ottoman Empire.

The aim of minimum cost and maximum efficiency in road construction and repair activities is planned within the framework of the concession procedure and the Labor Taxpayer Law. The Ottoman administrators aimed to relieve the budget in the steps they took in this regard. However, the example of the Izmir-Ankara Road and some disruptions within the framework of the Labor Taxpayer Law made it necessary to resort to different solutions in this regard. 

Within the scope of this information, we can express the increase in effectiveness and efficiency in road construction and repair activities with the increase in foreign trade data. While foreign trade data for the years 1840-1849 showed a low trend, a remarkable increase of approximately 160% in commercial income was observed between 1880 and 1889. Faster and safer deliveries due to the activation of roads connecting to ports played a major role in this increase.

Road construction and repair activities carried out from the Anatolian Right Branch Route to Istanbul, the capital of the period, also caused a long-term population increase.

As a result, road construction and repair activities have been examined in two periods of economic history. The First is the Classical Period. During this period, road construction and repair activities in Anatolia were in the form of repair and maintenance of roads from the Roman Period and the Seljuck Period. In short, existing roads were tried to be preserved, but a new road network was not planned. The second period is the Renewal Period. The study is, ıt was prepared in the light of archival documents, as the road construction and repair activities on the Anatolian right arm route increased in the 19th century and the functionality of new institutions increased. In this regard, the changes in agricultural production, import and export figures, and the development of industry in this regard, with the effect of the development of road construction and repair activities in the Hüdavendigâr, Aydın, Konya, Adana Provinces with the administrative division made within the framework of the provincial regulations of 1864 and 1871. 

The economic activity on the Right Arm Route during the period we are considering was at a higher level than that on other routes and made significant contributions to the economies of the cities along the route