It is sometimes tought that in order to address traffic congestion bigger roads ought to be built. In my opinion, while this is one way to tackle traffic problems, there are drawbacks to this solution and therefore other measures may need to be taken.
Constructing wider roads could certainly have a positive impact on the flow of traffic, particularly during rush hours. Roads in most developed cities were not built to handle the sheer volume of traffic that exist these days which is why traffic often grinds to a halt. Consequently, wider roads should be able to accommodate more traffic and theoretically traffic congestion. However, in some cases wider roads have been shown to actually encourage car use which could negate this solution.
With the growing number of private cars on the road, having wider roads may not be enough to tackle future congestion problems. For this reason, improving public transport and encouraging people to use it also needs to be implemented. Most people find that public transport is unreliable and too costly. By making public transport a cost effective, attractive option, it will be possible to reduce car use and ease long-term congestion.
Finally, it must be considered that some major cities have infrastructure that does not allow for expansion in terms of the size of roads. With growing populations and growing demands for housing, space is becoming a rare commodity and road expansion is sometimes not feasible. Therefore, by taking traffic overhead or underground by constructing bridges and tunnels, it is possible to reduce surface level traffic which ultimately solves road traffic congestion.
In conclusion, although I agree that road expansion is a potential solution, improving public transport and looking at alternative traffic flow options must be considered to effectively tackle traffic problems