Concrete Streets

While concrete highways and streets have many advantages, they are best known for their superior durability and long life. 

These benefits translate to less maintenance and construction-related road delays, as well as lower life-cycle costs.  The first concrete street built in the US was an 8-foot wide strip of Main street in Bellefontaine, Ohio in 1891.  Many municipalities today choose concrete pavements because of its reputation for long-term serviceability and a sense that it provides better value for the investment. Reliable transportation of people and goods is consistently achieved with durable, low maintenance concrete pavements.

Because of its light color, concrete can mitigate the urban heat island effect, reducing smog and promoting better air quality.   Pavement vehicle interaction (PVI) is a concept that looks at the interaction between a vehicle’s tires and the roadway surface on which it is driving. Concrete streets reduce PVI resulting in reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. Concrete streets are competitive first cost pavements while also requiring minimal maintenance over the lifetime of the pavement.