Roman Roads Called the Devil's Highway by medieval Europeans, Roman roads are even today a marvel of construction, planning, and scale. They exist in every country between Scotland and Iraq, and in all places west of the Rhine, south of the Danube, and north of the Sahara. Resistant to the effects of weather, they have stood up to an enormous amount of traffic over the centuries.
Roman roads are also responsible for a modern standard.
When railroads were first being developed in England in the early part of the 19th century, the gauge, or width, was based on ruts worn in the old Roman roads, caused by the standard width of axles on Roman carts. This standard gauge is still in effect today throughout Western Europe and many other countries.