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Roads History

The Birthplace of Modern Road Building

With Detroit being the birthplace of the automobile, who better than Wayne County to give birth to the modern road? Most people are not aware that the modern era of road construction began right here in Wayne County. In fact, much of the road-related technology we take for granted today was invented by the Wayne County Road Commission.

Cars and roads in America also share an important link: Henry Ford was one of Wayne County's first Road Commissioners and is often credited with spearheading the "Good Roads" movement of the early 1900's that led to the creation of Michigan's Road Commissions.

Perhaps the largest industry spawned by the advent of the automobile, road construction has been a huge employer for the nation. In fact, Over the next three years, more than $1.9 billion will be spent in Southeast Michigan on road construction, most of which is performed by private companies.