A more official road between Columbia and Kizantium has opened. From the Columbia side, look for the standstone path; Romans head to the top of the stairs. This one has been in planning for awhile but connecting roads take a lower priority than new city roads (for obvious reasons).

It is not more direct, just more predictable and flat enough to run on easily. Materials were donated by AnciliaryCorrolary (JLemer) under the plea that I make it look nicer than cobblestone. The appearance is an experiment, but I like it.

The reason we use cobblestone is because of the combination of availability and the time it takes to break it when reinforced. This makes it more attractive than most other options for a road surface. One could argue that the ease of producing sand makes sandstone roads ultimately cheaper. We shall see!