Event Planned to Celebrate 125th Anniversary of First Concrete Street in U.S.

In 1891, an 8-ft wide section of Main Street in Bellefontaine, OH, in front of the Logan County Court House became the first use of concrete in the United States on a road or street application. A segment placed in 1893 on Court Street - adjacent to the original pavement and on another side of the Court House Square - remains in service today( see pic below) and stands as a testimonial to the longevity and durability of concrete as an engineering construction material. To put the age of this in perspective, this was just 17 years after Custer’s Last Stand and one year before Henry Ford began experimenting with his quadricycle!

To commemorate this 125th anniversary of the first concrete pavement in the U.S., a celebratory event and field trip is planned for April 25 in cooperation with the National Concrete Consortium (NCC) spring meeting in Columbus. The program begins at the Hyatt Regency - Columbus with a series of invited presentations on Historical Highlights of Concrete Pavement Technology Developments in the U.S. and Canada, as well as Best Practices for the Design and Construction of Long-Life Concrete Pavements. Following the presentations, a site visit to the Bellefontaine project is planned.

There is no cost to attend this event, and it does not conflict with any formal NCC activities. Anyone interested in attending can indicate on this Doodle link by February 15. Pre-registration will be available once the National Concrete Consortium registration is posted.