April 27, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Roman roads, modern highways

Many highways in this country were built along the same trails that Indians had built over many centuries, including Route 29, a.k.a. the "Seminole Trail." Surprisingly, the same thing is true of highways in Great Britain, except that the original builders were the Romans. During the 16th through 18th Centuries, many of the roads were taken over by "turnpike trusts," when guards wielding long pikes made sure that only people who paid tolls were allowed to use them. See U.K. Highways Agency; hat tip to Connie.