[WalterBright]

I would expect that the roads were built over existing trails, as those trails would likely be the most efficient routes between places. Not punched through virgin wilderness.

[microtherion]

Romans had considerably more powerful engineering at their disposal, and placed a high priority on straightness. Punching through obstacles was pretty much a trademark practice for them: https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2786/4032626656_8e2fd14b1b_b.j...

[WalterBright]

It's an impressive picture. But punching through an obstacle that a trail winds around is not the same thing as punching through a virgin wilderness.

[anvandare]

If only we knew why our feet walk the way they do.

https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/calf-path