Pavement stakeholders set 125th anniversary celebration for first concrete street

Sources: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.; CP staff

In tandem with the National Concrete Consortium spring meeting in Columbus, NRMCA and American Concrete Pavement Association staff are organizing an April 25 field trip to Bellefontaine, Ohio, home to the first concrete slab used for a U.S. street or road. The program begins at the Hyatt Regency – Columbus with “Historical Highlights of Concrete Pavement Technology Developments in the U.S. and Canada” and “Best Practices for the Design and Construction of Long-Life Concrete Pavements” presentations, followed by the visit to Bellefontaine, one hour west.

In 1891, NRMCA notes, an 8-ft. wide section of Main Street in Bellefontaine, along 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 on the other side of Court House Square remains in service—a testimonial to the longevity and durability of concrete as an engineering construction material.

Additional information on the April program, presented free of charge, is forthcoming. Overseeing the event planning are NRMCA Senior Director, Local Paving, Phil Kresge, [email protected]; ACPA’s Larry Scofield, P.E., [email protected], on behalf of the Task Force on Preservation of Artifacts from Historic Concrete Pavements; and, Kurt Smith at [email protected].