If you are driving east bound on I -80 toward Ottawa, Illinois, and looked out your window, this image below is what you see.
Remnants of an old race track? Here is what it looks from above. So, what is it?
Thus the largest road experiment of its time commenced in August of 1956. Sponsored by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), six test track loops two lanes wide were built with with varying types of designs, bases, subbases, and thicknesses.
Let me first give some background. In 1956, the the government signed legislation that would stitch the country together with 41,000 miles of interstate highways. As the country was gearing up for this monumental task, there was one big problem. There was no manual or standards from which roads could be designed from.
Thus the largest road experiment of its time commenced in August of 1956. Sponsored by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), six test track loops two lanes wide were built with with varying types of designs, bases, subbases, and thicknesses.
The defense department supplied vehicles for testing and soldiers to drive 24 hours a day starting October 1958 until November of 1960. The tests were conducted by running cargo of different weights. How would like that job? I wonder how fast they had to go?
The basis of design for the pavements and bridges on the Interstate System was born from this facility. The pictures above shows the last remnants of one of the test tracks. Drive really slow past them to pay your respects.
