Land, water, air and space transportation systems all consist of three main components: (1) vehicles, which enclose and protect the operators, cargo, and onboard navigation and control components, (2) Support structures, which are buildings used to service and maintain the entire system, and (3) pathways, which provide feasible travel routes for vehicles. As residents of the “Hub City”, we are surrounded by complex transportation pathways which run through and around Rochelle including roadways, railroads, and air routes to our municipal airport. Our city has been greatly influenced by historical events and the development these transportation systems have created. Common examples include personal transportation systems like cars, trucks, gas stations, and residential garages; public systems like interstate and state highways, buses, trains, and commercial airports and airplanes; private systems such as private jets and commercial delivery services like FedEx; government systems such as Navy ships or the U.S. Postal Service, and systems which combine more than one and can be thought of as “intermodal”. To gain a better perspective of our own lives as well as conditions defining the collective good, an understanding of transportation technology systems is necessary. After all, we all use and rely on them!

In the previous transportation article, we discussed how the wheel transformed transportation in its earliest days. The friction-reducing benefits of wheels allowed carts pulled by humans and animals to move much greater loads longer distances and with less effort. The wheel is one of the most influential technologies. But the wheel alone cannot realize its greatest potential — it needs to be combined with pathways that enable all the benefits a circular rolling hub, axle, and wheel system can provide.

In this article we’ll discuss how roadways developed and provided even greater advances in land transportation systems

The earliest forms of roads were mere footpaths traced by human and animal movement. These paths were often simple dirt trails connecting settlements, water sources, and food supplies. As communities grew, so did the necessity for more organized routes. The earliest constructed roads were made from packed earth, allowing for easier travel for carts and wagons. Ancient civilizations, such as the Mesopotamians, Romans, and Greeks, began to develop structured road systems. The Romans were particularly famous for their road-building skills. They constructed a vast network of roads (over 250,000 miles) that connected different parts of their empire. Roman roads were well-engineered, often featuring layers of sand, gravel, and stones for durability and drainage. The saying "All roads lead to Rome" stems from this extensive network. Around 130 BC, the Silk Road was a network of trade routes connecting Asian civilizations in the East with Anglo-Saxon civilizations in the West. It included various forms of paths and overland routes that facilitated trade, culture, and technology exchange between civilizations.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, road maintenance declined in Europe. Dirt roads were often poorly kept, leading to difficult travel conditions. However, some roads remained crucial for trade, especially those leading to and from major cities and ports. By the 17th and 18th centuries, turnpike trusts were established in England and America, allowing private companies to build and maintain roads in exchange for tolls. This led to the creation of improved, packed gravel roads.

The next major advancement in roadbuilding technology, the Macadam Road, was named after Scottish engineer John Loudon McAdam. This construction method emerged in the early 19th century and was made of layers of small stones that provided a solid, drainable surface, leading to substantial improvements in road quality. Petroleum-based additives sprayed on top to provided more durable, water-resistant, and less dusty roads that also lasted longer. Macadam Roads were also very suited for long route in rural areas where paving with brick or stone was simply not possible.

The rise of railroads in the 19th century shifted the focus of transportation aways from roads for horse-drawn wagons and motorcars and toward the magnificent, steam-powered locomotives, but roads still played an important role for freight and personal travel, particularly in connecting rail hubs and in all those areas in between the rails. The near perfectly smooth surface steel rails provide allowed freight and passenger trains to carry incredibly large payloads while still only relying on one or two locomotives to haul. It takes only a surprising small amount of “push” to move a railroad car along its smooth pathway.

The advent of the automobile in the early 20th century brought a new urgency to road development. The Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 was one of the first pieces of legislation aimed at supporting highway construction in the United States. Earlier, in 1912, Carl Fisher began one of the most ambitious road projects ever conceived – the Coast-to-Coast Rock Highway – which later became the Lincoln Highway and was built over time to span the entire nation from New York City to San Francisco, and runs right through Rochelle!

In 1956, the Federal-Aid Highway Act established the Interstate Highway System. This massive project aimed to connect major cities across America with high-speed, multi-lane highways. The interstate system revolutionized travel, commerce, and suburban development. The Hub City is very unique to have Interstates 39 and 88 intersect right outside of town.

Today, road development continues with advances in technology. There is an increasing focus on sustainability, smart road technology, and the integration of electric vehicle infrastructure. Modern materials and construction techniques are used to optimize durability and efficiency. Reinforced concrete is used to build roads that can withstand the brutal forces from semi-tractor semi-trailers, which often causes us to forget the benefits highways bring us and take them for granted.

The evolution of roads from dirt paths to sophisticated interstate highways highlights humanity's continuous quest for improved mobility. As we move into the future the development of road networks will likely continue to evolve with advancements in technology, environmental considerations, and urbanization, shaping the way people and goods move around the world.

Kurt Wolter has studied and taught technology — including production, transportation, energy and communication — for over 30 years. He enjoys trying to better understand technology and its past, present, and future while also attempting journalism. He can be reached at technohistory100@gmail.com.