John McAdam

Can there be a name more closely related to road building than John Loudon McAdam? From the early 1780s, he embarked on a career in roads, first as a trustee of a Turnpike Trust, and then as surveyor and engineer. Within these roles, he developed ideas on road construction which were given the name of 'Macadamising' or 'Macadamisation' (despite the adjustment in spelling). This process, when combined with Tar led to the development of modern Tarmac.