What a road means to me

In my world and my time, roads are made of a black composite material called Asphalt. Asphalt is sand and small pebbles bound together by Bitumin, also known as Tar. Asphalt is not the best material to use for roads but it is a compromise between strength and cost. It is not too weak and not too expensive. Most of the ingredients of the roads are by-products of other industries, tar or bitumen is a by-product of the petroleum industry and the pebbles and sand particles are often waste aggregate from the building industry and Quarries that would otherwise have no use other than aggregate for cement in the concrete industry.

When I look at it I see a black resin with small stones embedded in it. It is black so all road markings are very clear. When it was first made it was heated so that it could be molded into a smooth surface using heavy rollers. In my opinion, the smell of a new road is very nice. It makes me feel relaxed when I breathe in the air around a new road surface. 

Asphalt has many weaknesses that I am very much aware of. It is very brittle so any ice crystals that can form inside it can shatter the road and make pot hols. If very heavy vehicles suddenly break when moving over it, a linear dent or two can appear in it. When it rains, it is largely waterproof so it becomes slippery and can trap puddles that can cause hazards on the road.

We have roads that are stronger than dirt roads and cheaper than solid granite pavements. I wonder what the roads would be like in the future. I'm sure that Asphalt won't be the surface of choice.