All major paved roads in Omaha when I was young were paved with bricks. The Lincoln Highway which came through this area was paved in brick. A portion of it has been restored near Elkhorn. West Center Road, an old country road, was brick. The access road going to Oakdale School was a part of the original bricked West Center Road, and some of it is still in brick. There are a few bricked places still around, mostly near railroad tracks, but most of the brick roads have been paved over with concrete of asphalt.
Military Road which ran from Hamilton Street, along 45th Street, then on toward Benson on the current Radial Highway, going on west as far as Fremont was brick. All the east/west main streets were brick. I can't remember whether the boulevard system was brick or not. Happy Hollow, Fontenelle, and Florence Boulevards were designed to provide a beautiful drive diagonal through parks across town. All the trolley tracks that traversed Omaha were laid in brick beds.
Every road that has a brick base under it does not develop pots holes. The brick roads were two lane, so any lanes that were added are to the sides of the brick infrastructure. That is where all the pot holes occur. Of course, the brick roads were bumpy and did not support much speed. They speak of a slower time, a closer community, an art not quite lost.
2 comments:
I miss those brick roads. I bet it took a long time to put one in.
I loved those brick roads. I remember being unhappy when they paved much of the brick road to school. Thanks for the trip down memory lane (pun intended.)
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