I just have to pipe in on this one with a funny little note...

There is a plank road that crisscrosses the tundra in Unalakleet, Alaska! (Of
course, it was built in the 1940s or 50s to connect various radio towers
built by the federal aviation administration.)

 

Folks build corduroy and plank roads all over this state. It's not unusual to
come across a section of 4-wheeler trail through the tundra where someone has
laid stray plywood, thin little willow or alder branches, and foam insulation
board to create a make-shift bridge through a particularly soggy spot. Always
made me wonder how far back such a practice goes (sans plywood and
styrofoam). Although I suspect people avoided traveling over the tundra in
summer, instead following creeks, streams, and lakes. Hmmm. 

 

So how old _is_ the oldest corduroy road?