1. Local terrain features like. hills, valleys and vegetation
2. Overland and subterranean water flow.
3. The location of  infrastructure such as sewers, storm water pipes and overhead power lines.
4. How the road will be used.
5. Grading and slopes along the potential route.
6. Bridges or tunnels that need to be accessed.

Selecting the best place for a new road is a careful balancing act. Project managers need to weigh up the costs of the project versus the construction costs. For example, it might be simple to build a road in a straight line, but the costs could be exorbitant if that requires the construction of tunnels or bridges.