Why Are Wyoming’s Roads Different Colors?
Every year during the fall, folks all over Wyoming take drives to see the changing color of the leaves. If you've hit the road at all in Wyoming, you've surely seen all the amazing views.
One of the things I love about this state is you can drive for hours and not have to even slow down because of the wide open spaces. When you're driving like that your mind starts wandering and sometimes you start to notice different aspects of the drive. If the road is bumpy, you focus on that and play "Frogger" with the rough spots or maybe you're in an area and have to play a game of "dodge the Antelope". You know what I'm talking about.
On my last road trip I started focusing on the MANY different colors of the road. The colors changed so often, I was almost obsessed with capturing the different colors. Want something to really help pass the time, keep your eyes on the road.
After getting home I went down the rabbit hole of trying to figure it out instead of just enjoying the interesting fact that all roads are created differently. When I started researching, that is the actual answer I came to...all roads are created differently!
If you're a baker, you know the way that you change the color of icing or cake is to add food coloring. It's the same concept when it comes to the colors of the asphalt on roads. Depending on which type and color of aggregate added to the asphalt, that will determine what color it comes out. Many times if you're driving down a road that has a rich color, you may see leftover piles of the aggregate on the side of the roads. Just like a good pair of jeans, the older they get the more faded they are...it's the same with the asphalt on roads. The older they get, the more they're driven on...the more faded they become.
I know, me either...I never have given it much thought, but now we're both informed and will be able to sleep better tonight.