<![CDATA[Urban road infrastructure plays a strategic role in supporting economic activity and mobility, making pavement performance a critical issue in infrastructure planning and management. The selection between rigid and flexible pavement systems has long been debated, particularly in urban environments characterized by mixed traffic loads, frequent utility cuts, and high maintenance demands. This study aims to comparatively analyze the performance of rigid and flexible pavements in urban roads by synthesizing empirical findings from international and national studies. A qualitative–quantitative literature-based comparative method was employed, drawing explicitly on peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, dissertations, and performance evaluation reports published between 1998 and 2025. The analysis focuses on structural performance, cost efficiency, construction time, maintenance requirements, environmental impact, and serviceability indicators such as PCI, IRI, and PSI. The results indicate that flexible pavements generally offer shorter construction periods and lower initial costs, whereas rigid pavements demonstrate superior long-term performance, lower life-cycle costs, and higher resistance to rutting and permanent deformation under heavy urban traffic. However, recent developments in perpetual flexible pavements and composite systems show competitive performance in terms of sustainability and environmental impact. This study concludes that pavement selection for urban roads should be based on life-cycle performance rather than initial cost alone, contributing to evidence-based decision-making for sustainable urban infrastructure development.]]>
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