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At the turn of the twentieth century roads in the United States were largely unpaved. Muddy in the spring, dusty in the summer, and unreliable year-round. What began as a push from bicyclists for smoother travel quickly intensified with the rise of the automobile. As vehicles replaced horse-drawn transportation, the demand for durable, all-weather roads became urgent.

Engineers experimented with a wide range of materials including brick, wood, and asphalt, but concrete soon emerged as a leading solution. With the growing availability of Portland cement and improved construction methods, concrete offered a level of strength and permanence that other materials could not match. Out of this period of innovation came granitoid pavement, a specialized form of early concrete paving patented in 1907 designed to meet the unique demands of both horse and vehicle traffic.

One of the first uses of granitoid pavement was used in Duluth, Minnesota on 7th Street East in 1910. Contractors first prepared a compacted gravel base, followed by a 5” thick  layer of concrete to provide strutural strength. Before that layer would fully set, a thin 2-3” concrete layer made with crushed granite aggregates would be applied and worked into a patterened surface of retangular blocks. Despite being constructed over a century ago portions of the original pavement remain in place today. A true testament to the durability concrete can provide even in some of the harshest freeze-thaw conditions in the country. 

In approximately 1925, a section of what is now Mill Street in Minnesota City, formerly part of Highway 61, was constructed using an unusually robust concrete design that has proven to be far ahead of its time. Built 8” thick, this pavement exceeded the typical thickness of the era, which often ranged closer to 5-6”. At the time, this route carried significantly higher traffic volumes as a primary highway corridor, yet the added thickness provided the structural capacity needed to manage those loads. More than a century later, petrographic analysis from American Engineering Testing (AET) confirms the concrete remains in “good overall condition” with no major signs of deterioration such as freeze-thaw damage or material breakdown. This extended performance highlights a key lesson in pavement design, increasing slab thickness dramatically improves longevity. What might have been expected to last 30-50 years instead continues to perform after 100 years, demonstrating that a relatively minor increase in initial material can more than double or even triple the service life of a concrete roadway.   

When evaluating roadway materials, concrete should be the first option considered, not just for its strength, but for the long-term value it delivers. Unlike other pavement types that often prioritize lower upfront costs, concrete provides a more complete solution when viewed through the lens of performance over time. Its extended life cycle significantly reduces the frequency of major repairs and reconstruction, minimizing disruptions and long-term maintenance demands. Economically, this translates into lower total ownership costs, as agencies and owners spend less on repeated fixes and user delay impacts. From a sustainability standpoint, longer-lasting pavements mean fewer raw materials consumed, less energy used in rehabilitation activities, and a reduced overall environmental footprint. When these factors are considered together, concrete stands out as a smart, forward-thinking investment rather than just a construction choice.

Concrete pavement has come a long way in the last 100 years and will continue to become more durable, economic, and sustainable than its competitors. When communities invest in infrastructure they should always think ahead. Not to build for today but to build for generations to come. A road that lasts 100 years does not just save money, it prevents generations of material use, emissions, and disruption.