All Historical Concrete Pavements Explorer

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AASHO-Road-Test-1

AASHO Road Test – Ottawa, IL

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Year Built: 1958
Pavement Type: Plain Jointed
The AASHO Road Test was one of the most ambitious test sections ever built and analyzed.  Six test loops were built in Ottawa, Illinois between 1956 and 1958 and the test was performed from 1958 to 1960. The test was designed to analyze the various structural responses of different pavement designs exposed to highway loadings in a typical northern climate. Read more...
cutoffrd2

Cutoff Road and Main Street

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Year Built: 1914
Pavement Type: Plain Jointed
Cutoff Road and Main Street is a member of the 100 Year Club as it was paved in 1914. The project is 1.37 miles long and lies east of Columbus Junction and provides a cutoff from Highway 92 to 214th Ave. The project was built by convict labor at a cost of $9,950 per mile. This pavement is still in Read more...
p2

First and Oldest Concrete Pavements in U.S. – Main Street and Court Avenue, City Square in Bellefontaine, OH

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Year Built: 1891 and 1893
Pavement Type: Plain Jointed
The first concrete pavement constructed in the U.S. was Main Street, built next to Logan County Courthouse in Bellefontaine, Ohio. George W. Bartholomew who founded the Buckeye Portland Cement Company, built the section in 1891 after advocating for it for a few years. He had to post a $5,000 bond for a five year guarantee. After the success of Main Street, Read more...
bates-trucks

Bates Road Test – Old US 54, New Berlin, IL

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Pavement Type: Plain Jointed
The Bates Road Test was constructed in 1920 with over 63 test sections (32 PCC). Additional thickened edge sections were built in 1922. Liberty trucks with dual 5-inch solid rubber tires on rear axle were used. The Associated Press reported in 1926 that highway officials estimated that the pavement tests saved the state $9 million in construction costs. Thickness design procedures Read more...
1904-Eagle-St-IA-1

First Concrete Pavement in Iowa – First Street, Le Mars, IA

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Year Built: 1904
Pavement Type: Plain Jointed
The first concrete pavement in Iowa was First Street or Eagle Street placed in Le Mars in 1904. The decision to pave the street was made to eliminate the dust and mud associated with the existing dirt roads. The 6.5 inch street was built in two lifts with the bottom 5 inches having less cement than the top lift. To prevent horses Read more...
20060707_0042

Central Ave., Urbana between Park and University

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Year Built: August 21, 1919
Pavement Type: Plain Jointed
Excerpted from Notice of Public Hearing, Central Ave. Improvement No. 2, March 1, 1919 ————————————- ESTIMATE Urbana, Illinois, March 1, 1919. To the Board of Local Improvements of the City of Urbana. Illinois, : Gentlemen: . . I (10 hereby certify that the estimate of the cost of the local improvement of Central Avenue from the North Property Line of University Read more...
Seedling-Mile

Original Seedling Mile – Lincoln Highway – Mount Vernon Road, Mt. Vernon, IL

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Pavement Type: Plain Jointed
In 1918 the original Lincoln Highway Seedling Mile was placed just west of Mount Vernon, Illinois. Seedling miles were popular in the 1910’s as the industry hoped that building these would drive for lobbying of more paved roads. Most of these seedling miles were one lane that was 9 feet wide. A plaque near the site commemorates the location. This Read more...

Pennsylvania Turnpike

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Recognized by ACPA/National in 2013 with the lifetime pavement performance award, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, opened to vehicular traffic on October 1, 1940, is known as America’s First Super-highway. Read more...