John McAdam
John McAdam was a Scot, although most of his roads were built in the south and west of England. While he admired Telford's thoroughness, he did not believe that all of Telford's measures were necessary. He felt that if the soil was dry to begin with, then a firm foundation with stone chippings to make the surface watertight would be perfectly adequate. McAdam insisted on the importance of a camber or slope and a drain to allow water to run off the road.
McAdam was more an improver of roads than a builder. He also saw the need to reduce the number of trusts and to produce larger single stretches of road. More than 30 different trusts sought out his advice and he was responsible for many thousands of miles of "macadamised" road. Because his methods were cheap as well as effective, most trusts adopted McAdam's roads. In recognition of his contribution Parliament granted him £10,000 in 1825.
The Merits of the roads built by Telford and McAdam have been hotly debated ever since. It was because McAdam's were cheaper that his method was eventually adopted widely. He gave his name to the term "tarmac" or "macadamised", used by the road builders of today.
Thomas de Quincy, a 19th Century author said of McAdam
"It is in reality to Mr McAdam that we owe it all. The roads in England, within a few years, have been remodelled upon principles of Roman science. From mere beds of rivers and systems of ruts, they have been improved universally to the condition and appearance of gravel walks in private parks."
