Throwback Thursday: How roads were made in 1887

Ever wonder how roads were made before modern machines? 

Let's go back 130 years in time to 1887. In this photo, we can see old paving steam rollers laying down new roads in Topeka. Back in this era the roads were made using cobblestone and bricks, beneath the larger rocks, there was a base layer using sand. In some towns across the state, we can still see evidence of those cobblestone streets. 

Our asphalt pacing processes have changed over the years from thick overlays to thinner ones. Today, road crews use paving machines to lay down road surfaces. In this photo, an asphalt paving machine is using a thin hot mix overlay.