Bitumen plays an essential role in the performance of bituminous mixture. Being a viscoelastic material, it is significantly affected by temperature and loading conditions. In this review, the viscoelastic behavior of bitumen over an extended range of loading frequencies and temperatures was discussed with regards to rheological evaluations. Meanwhile, the mechanism of pavement failures when it is subjected to high vehicular speed and extreme weather conditions were also elaborated. Moreover, numerous attempts that have been made to mitigate the aforementioned consequences to improve bitumen performance were included in this article. Based on the rheological performance of bitumen, this study compares and analyzes the findings of various studies on bitumen modification. In conclusion, this study suggests the suitability of each modification for various loading frequencies and temperature conditions. Further studies were suggested to alleviate the drawbacks of modifiers, thereby improving the environmental and economic aspects of bitumen modification. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021.