Death Stranding 2: On the Beach brings back one of the most important features from the first game: building roads to make travel faster and safer. This time, the road network stretches all across the massive continent of Australia. Roads help players deliver cargo quickly, avoid rough terrain, and stay safe from dangers like BTs and enemy factions.
What Are Auto-Pavers?
Auto-Pavers are machines you’ll find scattered throughout Australia. Their job is to print elevated highways once you give them enough materials. These highways let Sam and other porters travel across long distances without dealing with rivers, rocky cliffs, or hostile enemies.
If you’re new to the game, you might also want to check out Death Stranding 2 Beginner Tips to help you get started with your journey.
Why build roads?
- Vehicles can travel much faster.
- Roads keep you safer from BTs and MULEs in many areas.
- Roads recharge vehicles’ batteries as you drive.
- You save lots of time during deliveries.
Once built, roads remain visible for everyone online and don’t use up any Chiral Network bandwidth.
How to Unlock Auto-Pavers
You won’t be able to use Auto-Pavers right away. Here’s when they become available:
- First unlock: You’ll gain access to your first Auto-Paver after finishing Order No. 010. From the Western Environmental Observatory, head northeast to find it. (For a full list of Orders, see our Death Stranding 2: Episode and Order List.)
- Network connection required: Auto-Pavers only appear on your map after connecting a region to the Chiral Network.
Even if you haven’t donated materials yet, roads may start appearing if other players online have contributed.
Finding Auto-Pavers on the Map
The in-game map is essential for finding Auto-Pavers and tracking progress. You can:
- Show names of map icons
- Hide or show pins for locations you’ve marked
- View the map in full-screen mode
- Search for places by name
- See counters tracking how many locations you’ve discovered
When you hover over an Auto-Paver icon, it shows how many materials are still needed and how far construction has progressed.
You might also be interested in learning how to leave signs in Death Stranding 2 to help guide other porters on the map.
How to Build Roads
Building roads requires three key materials:
- Metals
- Ceramics
- Chiral Crystals
For early stretches of road, you’ll usually need about:
- 200 Metals
- 200 Ceramics
- 300 Chiral Crystals
Longer highways and remote areas later in the game will require much larger amounts.
Steps to build a road:
- Approach the Auto-Paver terminal.
- Donate materials from your inventory.
- Confirm the donation and watch the Auto-Paver print a section of road.
Playing online means other players can help contribute materials, reducing the load for everyone.
See Also: Want to know more about the different structures you can build? Check out our guide on Death Stranding 2 Structures.
All Highway Routes and Auto-Pavers
Australia’s road network in Death Stranding 2 consists of five main highways. Each route has several Auto-Pavers that need to be filled before a full stretch of road appears. Here’s a full breakdown:
AUS-HIGHWAY-01
- Found in southwest Australia.
- Starts from the southeastern edge of West Fort Knot and runs east to the F5 East Distribution Center.
- Contains 11 Auto-Pavers spread across hills, rocky valleys, and lowlands.
- Sections of this route run near rivers and shallow floodplains, making bridges and roads extremely useful for avoiding frequent Timefall floods.
Important note: A small patch of land on the west side of F5 doesn’t connect to the Chiral Network until late in Episode 8 due to a major story event. This affects Auto-Paver 01-09 and Auto-Paver 01-10. Players should plan materials carefully, as these pavers remain locked until that episode’s conclusion.
AUS-HIGHWAY-02
- Located in northeastern Australia.
- Starts from the northeast corner of West Fort Knot, travels north and east, looping up toward the southern edges of the F2 South Distribution Center, then curves back down to the Northern Environmental Observatory.
- Contains 11 Auto-Pavers, weaving through hilly forest terrain and several shallow river crossings.
- This highway provides vital connections for cargo routes leading toward observation facilities and resource-rich areas near the Observatory.
- Several Auto-Pavers here are close to MULE camps, so players should watch for enemy patrols when hauling materials.
AUS-HIGHWAY-03
- The longest highway in the game.
- Crosses central Australia and provides the spine of the country’s highway system.
- Starts on the east side of the F2 South Distribution Center, passes through the Twin Valley Mine, skirts the Data Scientist’s shelter, travels near the Savanna Mine, and eventually takes a sharp southern bend before ending at East Fort Knot.
- Contains 14 Auto-Pavers.
- Key route for major deliveries and fast travel across the continent, often used for hauling large cargo loads from mining operations to distribution centers.
- Terrain varies from desert-like plains to rocky highlands, requiring significant material contributions due to longer segments and harsh conditions.
AUS-HIGHWAY-04
- Shortest highway in the game.
- Located in the northeast corner of Australia.
- Branches off north from Highway 03 at Auto-Paver 03-08, extending into rugged highlands and ending at the Northeastern Mine.
- Contains 5 Auto-Pavers.
- Though short, this route is important for accessing the Northeastern Mine, which is a major source of metals and ceramics.
- The road helps bypass steep mountain slopes and thick fog common in this corner of the map, making deliveries faster and safer.
AUS-HIGHWAY-05
- Winds around the southeastern coastline of Australia.
- Begins behind East Fort Knot, follows the coastline south and east, then cuts slightly inland along the base of the coastal mountain range.
- Contains 12 Auto-Pavers.
- Offers scenic but dangerous routes along cliffs and coastal plains, where Timefall can wash out ground routes quickly.
- This highway passes through some of the final regions of the game and is essential for end-game deliveries.
- Certain pavers on this highway demand large contributions of Chiral Crystals due to long elevated segments required over ocean inlets and marshes.
General Tips for All Highways
- Many Auto-Pavers are located near resource nodes, mines, or rivers, letting players harvest materials nearby.
- Building roads along these highways dramatically reduces travel time, avoids MULE ambushes, and protects cargo from Timefall damage.
- Highways recharge vehicle batteries, letting players cover large distances without running out of power.
Keeping Roads Maintained
Roads will eventually wear down due to Timefall. To keep them in good shape, you’ll need to contribute more materials for repairs. Later in the game, you can upgrade roads to Level 2, adding a roof that protects them from Timefall and allows vehicles to travel even faster.
Trophies Related to Roads
Building roads isn’t just about convenience—it also helps unlock several trophies in Death Stranding 2:
- Road Restorer: Awarded for building your first section of road.
- Rail Restorer: Given for fully repairing one monorail line. Monorail systems work similarly to roads but use Tracklayers instead of Auto-Pavers.
- Dig, Dig, Dig!: Earned for restoring three mines. Mines are important sources of materials needed for building roads.
See Also: Curious about improving your Porter Rank? Read our guide on Death Stranding 2 Porter Grade for tips on leveling up your porter skills.
Best Places to Farm Resources
Gathering enough materials is one of the biggest challenges when building roads. Here’s where you can find what you need:
- Metals & Ceramics:
- Found in enemy camps like MULEs and Brigands.
- Stored in postboxes or carried by enemies you defeat.
- Chiral Crystals:
- Dropped by defeated BTs.
- Farmed near mines, especially:
- Smoke Hill Mine
- Mine North of F1 (which can yield over 2,000 crystals on your first visit)
- Found in tar ponds and tar pits, often in large clusters.
Using vehicles like the Tri-Cycle makes collecting these resources much faster.
Why Roads Are Essential in Death Stranding 2
Roads completely change how you play Death Stranding 2. They help you avoid dangerous areas, cut down travel time, and let you carry heavier loads without worrying about terrain. Building roads also helps other players online, turning the world into a shared network of safe paths.
Whether you’re delivering cargo across the continent or simply exploring, roads are one of the best tools you can invest in.
Auto-Pavers are vital for surviving and thriving in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. Knowing where they are and how to use them makes every delivery smoother and faster across Australia’s vast landscape.
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