Roads and paths

History and fun facts

Paths and cart tracks

The first roads were paths that people and animals trod flat. Later, carts drove over them and wore two deep ruts into the ground. You can still see such wheel ruts in some old stone roads, for example in Pompeii.

In the Middle Ages, most roads outside towns were made of dirt or gravel. When it rained they turned to mud, and carts often got stuck.

Roman roads

The Romans built a large network of paved roads across their whole empire. The best known is the Via Appia, which was begun in 312 BC. Soldiers, messengers and traders could travel quickly on it.

A Roman road had several layers: large stones at the bottom, then gravel and sand, and flat stones on top. The middle was slightly higher, so rainwater ran off to a ditch at the side. Milestones along the road showed the distance.

Cobblestones and clinker bricks

In towns, streets were paved with stones. Round, bumpy cobblestones are called 'kinderkopjes' (children's heads) in Dutch. They were uneven, but carts did not sink into them.

The Netherlands has little natural stone but a lot of clay. So people baked bricks from river clay, called clinkers. Dutch brick streets are often laid in a herringbone or running bond. You can choose these patterns in this tool.

Asphalt and motorways

Around 1820, the Scottish engineer John Loudon McAdam came up with a road made of layers of small crushed stone. Later, tar or asphalt was added. This created smooth roads for bicycles and cars.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the first motorways appeared, with separate carriageways and no crossings. Germany built the Autobahn, and Italy and the United States also built motorways. A central reservation with a crash barrier keeps the traffic in both directions apart.

Roundabouts and hairpin bends

Around the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, traffic already drove in a circle around the square in the early 20th century. The modern roundabout, where traffic on the roundabout has priority, was introduced in Great Britain in the 1960s. Roundabouts are safer than normal crossings, because everyone drives more slowly.

In the mountains, roads climb with hairpin bends. The road to the Stelvio Pass in Italy has 48 bends on one side, and the road to Alpe d'Huez has 21. This keeps the slope from getting too steep.

Did you know?

• Work on the Via Appia began in 312 BC. You can still walk on parts of it today.
• The saying 'all roads lead to Rome' comes from the Roman road network leading to the capital.
• The word macadam for a hard road comes from the engineer John Loudon McAdam.
• The Dutch word 'klinker' for a paving brick comes from the clear ringing sound of a well-fired brick.
• In Minecraft, the path block has been called Dirt Path since version 1.17. You make it by using a shovel on grass or dirt.