The Lines on the Road: Infrastructure in Perspective

This article discusses various road infrastructure history and perspectives that could help in improving future infrastructure. The visibility of pavement markings has continued to be problematic, especially where winter and snow are virtually synonymous. The American reinvention of the highway centreline has been described as ‘the most important single traffic safety device in the history of auto transportation.’ The solid white line that marks the right-hand edge is thus considered another significant innovation. The white line delineating the pavement’s right-hand edge was explicitly advocated in the 1961 manual, and the 1978 edition made it required for all multilane rural highways. Such standardization, while it may take time to be codified, certainly does make our highways safer and less stressful to navigate.