For those of us who live in climates where winter doesn’t so much end as melt into a slushy, muddy spring, roads suddenly become impossible to ignore. The salt and sand remain, the ground begins to shift, and—right on schedule—the potholes arrive. It’s a seasonal reminder that roads, however mundane they may seem, are never quite finished—and never quite as simple as they appear.

When we think of “civilization,” we often picture columns and cathedrals, but the foundation—quite literally—is the road. Without it, cities don’t connect, armies don’t march, and goods don’t arrive. The Roman Empire understood this, laying down over 250,000 miles of roads, many still visible beneath modern highways. They engineered them with layered stone and drainage camber, anchoring their legacy in stone and soil.

And then it was lost.

When the Romans withdrew from Britain in 410 AD, their expertise vanished with them. For nearly 1,000 years, Europe reverted to muddy tracks and axle-breaking ruts. The word “infrastructure” hadn’t been coined yet, but its absence was profoundly felt.

By the 18th century, the state of Britain’s roads was more than an inconvenience; it was a drag on progress. Architect Robert Adam’s journey from Edinburgh to Glasgow was not a quick trip up the motorway. It was a two-day expedition involving mud-choked carriages and sodden horses.

Two days to cover forty-seven miles. 

Roads didn’t connect the economy—they slowed it down.

Enter two Scottish innovators: Thomas Telford and John McAdam.

Telford built suspension bridges, canals, and aqueducts, but his greatest feat may have been stitching Scotland with a reliable, engineered road system. McAdam took a more granular approach—literally. His process of layering crushed stone became the gold standard for durable, well-drained roads. To this day, when you’re “sitting on the tarmac” in an airplane, you’re invoking his legacy (tarmac: short for tar-bound macadam).

Fun Facts That Ground the Story

• Roman cobblestones are actually spike-shaped stones hammered deep into the ground. Modern road repairs often reveal their ingenious length.
• The name “tarmac” pays homage to John McAdam. Thank him for the smooth surface next time you’re stuck on it.
• Gravel pits may be NIMBY nightmares, but without them, no roads. That crunch under your tires had to come from somewhere.
• Suspension bridges? Telford pioneered the idea. Stand on the Golden Gate and tip your hat.
• Highways and trade: Before modern roads, businesses had to be built near rivers. Roads gave merchants freedom of placement—and with it, control over their economic destiny.

Why It Matters Today

Infrastructure isn’t just about potholes and bypasses. It’s about liberty. Roads enabled literacy, commerce, education, and travel. They turned local economies into national ones. And in the case of Roman roads, they still serve as literal foundations beneath European cities.

As we debate the future of transportation—EVs, rail, and green corridors—it’s worth looking back at what makes movement possible in the first place: the road beneath our feet, and the minds who put it there.