Grand Highway

The Grand Highway is a system of transit routes and lines of communication running between the Martian Nations along the Martian Highlands. It is an important shared infrastructure that facilitates trade on Mars that would otherwise have to rely on air transport to cross the wide treacherous expanses of highlands between the habitable low land colonies.
The “Highway” is not just a road, but also a MagLev system and a series of conveyance pipes for sharing resources between the nations. The highway was built in the early 2200’s, originally just consisting of the road network between Yutopia, Hwasong, and Hellas. The road is wide enough to travel by Crawler, though some narrower stretches of the road only allow for one such vehicle at a time. The highway road is almost entirely packed dirt, with only 4% of the roads paved and 7% gravel throughout the entire network.
A fully paved network was proposed in the middle of the 23rd Century, but quickly dismissed when considering the upkeep costs. Sandstorms would frequently bury the roads, requiring periodic dusting and digging. Also, the off-road wheels and tracks used by many highland vehicles -- including the gargantuan Crawler transports -- would likely tear up pavement far faster than normal vehicles. Instead, autonomous earthmover vehicles periodically till and pack the road to keep everything passable.
The Great Highway network is arranged as a branching web of routes known as “spokes” that converge on a central hub. A tent town called “Crossroads” was established at this nexus in 2221, where it quickly grew to match the growing demand for service, maintenance, and lodging for travelers making the long haul journey between nations. Crossroads eventually became an independent city state responsible for managing much of the Grand Highway beyond nationally owned territory.
When Hellas fractured after the System Wide War, new routes were added to service Harmakhis and Mangal. A secondary hub developed south of Crossroads at a previously unimportant waystation. MangalaCorp, an Indian contracting company with majority stake in the station, bought out all other ownership several days before the location of the new hub was chosen. They named the new town Trishal. This gave India control of the travel and trade through that hub, and put their Mangal colony in an advantageous position over its neighbors.
After years of protestations over extortive practices at Trishal went unanswered, Hellas, Harmakhis, Eesong and Crossroads joined forces to wrest Trishal from Indian control. The brief but bloody Battle of Trishal resulted in a victory for the coalition well before Indian reinforcements from Earth could hope to arrive. The coalition agreed to make Trishal a subsidiary of Crossroads, with small substations for each of the three Hellic nations.
As the newest Martian Nation, Argyre Colony, is the only nation without a connection to the Grand Highway network, instead relying on a pair of trail roads cut through the highlands by off-road vehicles. Connecting to the Grand Highway network is a major priority for Argyre Colony administration. Hwasong also lacks a direct route connections to the network, but the Grand Highway extends all the way through the Eastern Mariner Valley, allowing Hwasong to connect through Eesong territory. This makes Hwasong entirely dependent on Eesong for major international trade, and adds a layer of complication to their already strained border relations.
Most of the network falls under similar usage rules as international waters on Earth. Impeding or blockading the route is illegal except in Highland territory belonging to the nation or organization in question. There is, however, no international governing body on Mars, so punishment is usual!y meted out post facto through sanctions and exile. Extortion, kidnapping, and robbery are fairly common in certain stretches of the Highway, demanding constant vigilance.
Governments and other groups are, however, free to set up inspection stations and checkpoints on parts of the Highway that they own. Crossroads at times uses this freedom to control traffic through the hub and essentially tax all travel along the highway under the justification that they provide most of the upkeep. Disgruntled transport unions and Crawler driver groups began carving out bypass routes to circumvent Crossroads territory. Smugglers, human traffickers and other criminals use the Crossroads bypass and other bypasses to evade cargo inspections, leading to a cat and mouse game of uncovering and closing illegal bypass routes.
Since the air pressure is too low at highland altitudes for even Native Martians, travel along the Grand Highway can be a dangerous affair. A simple flat tire or engine breakdown can turn into a life threatening situation as air, water and food run out or exposure sets in for stranded travelers. Air and Water taps running from the conveyance pipes were added in the late 23rd Century, allowing stranded travelers to siphon off lifesaving resources at a cost. The taps are monitored to prevent illegal siphoning for profit. Some travelers joke that the fastest way to get rescued on the Grand Highway is to smash the surveillance camera on a pipeline tap.
In emergencies, most nations are willing to offer roadside rescue and recovery if it is within reach of their response teams. Otherwise Crossroads based rescue services will help… for a steep fee. During sandstorms, even Crossroads won't be able to send anyone to help, and Crawler crews often have to look out for each other and render aid through an unwritten code, again resembling mariners’ obligations to each other at sea.

Type

Highway