Abstract: As the exploitation of underground resources advances to greater depths, the deformation and failure of roadway surrounding rock have become increasingly prominent. Studies indicate that the excavation disturbance in deep roadways induces distinct gradient damage characteristics in the radial direction, and the surrounding rock can be divided from the interior to the exterior into three zones: a strongly disturbed fractured zone, a moderately damaged transition zone, and a slightly disturbed stable zone. The rock mass adjacent to the roadway wall is under a uniaxial or biaxial stress state, with concentrated damage and a loose structure, whereas the rock farther away maintains a triaxial stress state and a relatively intact structure. We establish a mechanical model for gradient failure in deep roadways that accounts for the stress degradation mechanism, and systematically analyze the influence of factors such as the lateral pressure coefficient and burial depth on the gradient damage distribution. The results of theoretical derivation and FLAC^3D numerical simulation show that the tangential stress and its gradient peak near the roadway perimeter. Moreover, as the burial depth and lateral pressure coefficient increase, the stress gradient in the surrounding rock intensifies significantly, thereby exacerbating roadway deformation and failure. The research findings provide a theoretical basis and engineering reference for deformation control and gradient support optimization in the surrounding rock of deep roadway.