The Development of Highway
This article is about highway and transport engineering, this time we talk about The Development of Highway
The great highway system of our modern civilization have their origin in the period before the dawn of recorded history. Even before the invention of the wheel, which is popularly supposed to have occurred some 10,000 years ago, individual and mass movements of people undoubtedly took place. The earliest travel on foot; later, pack animals were utilized, crude sleds were developed, and simple wheeled vehicles came into being. Many of the migrations of the early historical period involved large numbers of people and covered relatively great distances. More or less regularity traveled routes developed, extending to the limits of the then known world.
As various civilizations reached a higher level, many of the ancient peoples came to a realization of the importance of improved roads. The streets of the city of Babylon were paved as early as 2000 B.C. History also records the construction of a magnificent road to aid in the building of the Great Pyramid in Egypt nearly 3,000 years before the birth of Christ. Traces of early roads have been found on the island of Crete, and it is known that the early civilizations of the Chinese, Carthaginians, and Incas also led to extensive road building.
By far the most advanced highway system of the ancient world was that of the Romans. When Roman civilization was at its peak, a great system of military roads reached to the limits of the empire. Many of these roads were built of stone and were 3 ft or more in thickness. Traces of this magnificent system are still in existence on the European continent; in fact, some of these roads still serve as bases for sections of modern highways.
After the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, road building, along with virtually all other forms of scientific activity, practically ceased for a period of 1,000 years. Even as late as the early part of the eighteen century, the only convenient means of travel between cities was on foot or on horseback. Stage coaches were introduced in 1659, but travel in them proved exceedingly difficult in most instances because of the extremely poor condition of rural roads.
(source : Wright, P.H, with contributions by James S. Lai, Peter S.Parsonson, Michael Meyer., Highway Engineering, 6th edition ,John Wiley & Sons, Inc.New York, 1996.)
The great highway system of our modern civilization have their origin in the period before the dawn of recorded history. Even before the invention of the wheel, which is popularly supposed to have occurred some 10,000 years ago, individual and mass movements of people undoubtedly took place. The earliest travel on foot; later, pack animals were utilized, crude sleds were developed, and simple wheeled vehicles came into being. Many of the migrations of the early historical period involved large numbers of people and covered relatively great distances. More or less regularity traveled routes developed, extending to the limits of the then known world.
As various civilizations reached a higher level, many of the ancient peoples came to a realization of the importance of improved roads. The streets of the city of Babylon were paved as early as 2000 B.C. History also records the construction of a magnificent road to aid in the building of the Great Pyramid in Egypt nearly 3,000 years before the birth of Christ. Traces of early roads have been found on the island of Crete, and it is known that the early civilizations of the Chinese, Carthaginians, and Incas also led to extensive road building.
By far the most advanced highway system of the ancient world was that of the Romans. When Roman civilization was at its peak, a great system of military roads reached to the limits of the empire. Many of these roads were built of stone and were 3 ft or more in thickness. Traces of this magnificent system are still in existence on the European continent; in fact, some of these roads still serve as bases for sections of modern highways.
After the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, road building, along with virtually all other forms of scientific activity, practically ceased for a period of 1,000 years. Even as late as the early part of the eighteen century, the only convenient means of travel between cities was on foot or on horseback. Stage coaches were introduced in 1659, but travel in them proved exceedingly difficult in most instances because of the extremely poor condition of rural roads.
(source : Wright, P.H, with contributions by James S. Lai, Peter S.Parsonson, Michael Meyer., Highway Engineering, 6th edition ,John Wiley & Sons, Inc.New York, 1996.)
Title Post: The Development of Highway
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