In Civilization VII, the mechanics for building roads have evolved from previous entries in the series, focusing on both automatic and somewhat manual methods. Here's how you can build roads based on current information:
Automatic Road Building:
•Settlers: When you establish a new settlement, roads automatically connect it to existing cities or towns within a certain range. Specifically, if the new settlement is within 5 tiles of another city or town, a road will be built connecting them, provided there are no obstacles like rivers or mountains in the way. [Source: game8.co]
•Trade Routes: Merchants (or Traders) automatically construct roads when they establish trade routes between cities. These roads extend up to 10 tiles, connecting cities that would otherwise not be linked by settler roads due to distance or obstacles. This is a primary way to expand your road network, enhancing trade and military movement. [Source: game8.co, X posts]
Manual Road Building:
•Military Engineers: Although not explicitly detailed for Civilization VII, based on mechanics from Civilization VI, it's reasonable to assume that Military Engineers might still play a role in manual road construction. In Civilization VI, Military Engineers had a limited number of charges for building roads, making manual road-building less common but useful for specific strategic needs. For Civilization VII, this could mean you might have a similar option, but details would depend on game updates or expansions. [Source: steamcommunity.com, forums.civfanatics.com]
Key Points:
•Range: Settlers automatically connect settlements within 5 tiles, while merchants can extend roads up to 10 tiles.
•Obstacles: Natural barriers like rivers or mountains can prevent automatic road building.
•Strategic Use: Roads are vital for improving movement speed, facilitating trade, and supporting military logistics. Automatic road creation through settlers and merchants helps in building a basic network, but for specific strategic advantages, players might rely on any manual methods available.
•Trade Route Planning: Since merchants build roads, where you send them can significantly impact your road network, potentially even used tactically for military movements or to connect resource-rich areas.
Player Feedback and Strategy: 
Some players express a desire for more control over road placement, echoing sentiments from Civilization VI where the reliance on traders and limited-use engineers for road-building was seen as restrictive. However, the automatic nature in Civilization VII reduces micromanagement, allowing for a more dynamic game experience where road networks evolve naturally through expansion and trade. [Source: forums.civfanatics.com, steamcommunity.com]
Conclusion:
The road-building system in Civilization VII leans towards automation through settlement and trade, making it less about micromanaging road placement but more about strategic placement of cities and trade routes. If you find yourself needing roads in specific locations not covered by these automatic methods, you might need to wait for game updates or consider mods if they become available for more direct control over road construction.
