Intro – Why Did the Reporter Write About Roads?

For some reason, I can’t remember. I was already thinking about the U.S. road systemm then during Monday Morning Bible study, a little girl said, “Did you know that roads didn’t used to be paved? Before they were paved, they were made of dirt.” It got me wondering about roads: When were they first paved? Why do Americans drive on the right and the British on the left? What side of the road does the rest of the world drive on? When was the American highway system designed? So, I decided to write an article on the history of roads.

The First Roads

Dirt roads and paths have been around for almost forever. If enough people traverse the same path often enough, it turns into a dirt road. The first known intentional roads (stone paved) date to about 4000 BC in Ur and Babylon. The next significant development in road construction was the Roman road system. A major part of how the Romans were able to build such an expansive road system was the durable concrete they used between stones. For years, researchers were unable to replicate the incredibly long-lasting Roman concrete despite having and following the recipe. It turned out the Romans used seawater. The saltwater reacted with the other ingredients in a special way (called the pozzolanic reaction) that allows the concrete to endure a very long time. In part due to this strong concrete, Roman roads were able to withstand much use and weather (Image 1).

From Stone to Asphalt

For thousands of years, roads were paved with stones and bricks, then in 1824, the first road was paved with asphalt in Paris. In 1870, in Newark, NJ, the first U.S. road was paved with asphalt. In the early 20th century, as cars became more popular and accessible, asphalt roads also became more common. 

Right or Left – Which is Right? 

The majority of the world drives on the right side of the road (Image 2). Why is that? And why do some countries drive on the left? Supposedly, in the U.S., we drive on the right because of wagons. Wagon drivers would not always ride on the wagon and would often walk alongside holding the reins. Because 90% of people are right-handed, wagon drivers tended to hold the reins in their right hand and walk on the left side of the wagon. Probably they also rode on the left side because they walked on the left side. If you are walking or riding on the left side, it makes sense to keep the wagon to the right of the road for the same reasons drivers sit on the left side of cars while driving on the right side of the road. So, in the U.S., we ride on the right because most wagon riders were right-handed. What about the rest of the world? As the story goes, in Rome, horse riders rode on the left of the road so that they could easily meet oncoming horses with their sword arm. England kept the tradition and still drives on the left. So why did the rest of Europe switch to the right? The short answer: Napoleon. In France, it was traditional for the wealthy with carriages and horses to ride on the left of the road while people on foot kept to the right. Shortly before Napoleon came to power, the French government, responsible for the “Reign of Terror”, ordered everyone to keep to the right side of the road as a way to bring equality between the classes. Supposedly, when Napoleon and his armies spread through Europe, they spread the tradition of keeping to the right of the road. As for Africa, Asia, and South America, I would guess that when European countries colonized much of the world, they spread their traditions of which side of the road is correct. This is why many countries colonized by England (like India and Australia) drive on the left side. Conclusion

Okay, well, I was also going to write about the U.S. highway system, but I put this article off until the last minute; it’s late, I’m tired, and I’ll write about the U.S. highway system next time. Let us know if you have any road-related questions that you would also like answered next issue. Until then, goodbye.

By Susanna Patrick