What could be next"
From cracks to potholes, there?s a lot that could go wrong with roads as time goes on. While some places are confronting these headaches by simply reverting back to gravel roads, other cities are open to trying out new ideas from scientists and engineers. And in 2017, there are a lot of those going around.
Whether the goal is to patch streets up more efficiently or harness them for greater public good, here are the road-transforming ideas you should know.
Solar roads

Solar Roadways

The premise is simple and almost too good to be true: Cover your roads with solar panels and reap bountiful green energy. Since launching a viral crowdfunding campaign a few years ago for their hexagonal glass solar panels, Idaho company Solar Roadways has finally begun a number of test trials on real roads, including a sidewalk near a rest stop in Conway, Missouri, and a public installation at the Jeff Jones Town Square in Sandpoint, Idaho. There are also similar pilot projects by SolaRoad in the Netherlands and Wattway in France. Paving roads with pig manure...

Pig manure could pave the road to a new sustainable asphalt, thanks to civil engineer Ellie Fini and a team at North Carolina A&T State University. Fini and her partners have filed patents on the technology and set up a company called Bio-Adhesive Alliance. Watch and share how this #NSFfunded? formula is being engineered and tested. It may be coming ...