The specific activity and the gamma radiation dose rates due to naturally occurring radioactive materials (²³⁸U,²³²Th and ⁴⁰K) were determined in 26 roadside surface soils along Jamshedpur-Musabani road-a mineralised and mining region, using high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry. The concentrations of  ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in the soil samples were found to be in the range of 16.6 ± 0.6-390.5 ± 1.6, 24.1 ± 0.7-148.2 ± 2.1 and 85.9 ± 3.8-881.6 ± 22.4 Bq kg^-1, respectively. The annual effective dose equivalent was found to be in the range of 0.04-0.32 mSv y^-1 with an average value of 0.13 mSv y^-1. The excess cancer risk is in the range of 0.16 x 10^-3-1.22 x 10^-3 with an average value of 0.49 x 10^-3.