Summary Draft #2: New paths for the roads of tomorrow

New path to the road of tomorrow

In one of JCDecaux’s blog’s article, “New paths for the road of tomorrow” (2017), he mentioned several technological enhancements on road infrastructure. ‘Asphalt’ is conventionally used on roads pavement. These materials are neither durable nor cost-efficient; Increases surface temperature which requires a revolutionary change.  

The author is certain that “recycled materials” are much beneficial than the latter. For instance, he quoted 1.3 million cigarettes butts were implemented in the mixture with asphalt, which aids in both heat conductivity and waste management. Decaux also added that the first trail of “solar roadway” was implemented in France (2016); Renewable energy is harnessed to eliminate the need of snow excavator due to its heat conductivity properties, facilitating smoother & safer traffic.

In addition, “Smart highway” introduced in 2016, was proposed by the author that automatic light sensors are placed in close proximity of approaching vehicles. Thus, it saves energy while serving the intended purpose.

However despite the controversial uproar, a revolutionary of road infrastructure can be maddening and expensive to implement on a global scale. This has yet to be proven far from its sustainability, which was further evidenced in one of the recent articles by Mike Colargrossi, “First solar roadway in France turned out to be a 'total disaster’ ”(2019). The source has indeed aroused skeptics to the reality of our future road.

Reference:

JC Decaux. (2017, October 23). New paths for the roads of tomorrow. Retrieved from https://www.jcdecaux.com/mobility-trends/new-paths-roads-tomorrow

Colagrossi, M. (2019, August 21). France's failed solar roadway. Retrieved from https://bigthink.com/technology-innovation/france-solar-road?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1