Southern African road builders have long struggled with an uncomfortable issue. The wide Kalahari region lacks the crushed rock and high-quality gravel typically used for road bases, and hauling those materials hundreds of kilometres can consume a large share of the project's budget. The region has an abundant supply of fine, pale sand, often dismissed as too loose to carry heavy traffic. In 1962, engineers in South Africa's Free State province tested that belief on a real road. After more than six decades, the experiment remains a strong argument for using the land's own resources.
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