††The first large-scale construction of roads took place under the Romans around the year 170 BC. Many of these were so well built that they still exist today. In other cases modern roads have been constructed along the original Roman routes. After the fall of the Roman Empire there was very little organised road building until the 18th century when the growth of industry began to demand more efficient transport methods. Up to this point, most roads were badly surfaced, full of pot-holes, and often unusable during bad weather.
