# 🛣️⏳ How Motorway Design Has Evolved Over the Decades A modern motorway can look deceptively simple. Several lanes stretch into the distance. Vehicles move in the same direction. Signs provide instructions. Bridges carry traffic over other roads. Interchanges connect different routes. But today's motorway is the result of **decades of engineering evolution**. The motorway of the early automobile era was designed around relatively straightforward objectives: create a fast, continuous route between important destinations, separate traffic from pedestrians and local roads, and provide enough capacity for the vehicles of the time. Today's motorway has a much broader mission. It may need to accommodate enormous traffic volumes, heavy freight, electric vehicles, connected cars, changing weather conditions, environmental requirements, sophisticated safety systems, digital communications, and real-time traffic management. The transformation can be summarized as: **Road → Highway → High-capacity Motorway → Managed Motorway → Connected Transportation Network** And the story behind that transformation reveals something fascinating about engineering. Every generation of motorway design has been shaped by the problems of its era. When vehicles became faster, roads needed better geometry. When traffic increased, engineers needed more capacity. When congestion became a major economic problem, traffic management became more important. When environmental concerns grew, motorway planning became more sensitive to ecosystems and communities. When digital technology arrived, infrastructure gained sensors, cameras, communication networks, and data systems. Today, motorway design is entering another stage—one where the physical road and digital transportation network increasingly operate together. 🚗📡🤖 Let's travel through the decades and explore how the motorway evolved. --- # 🛣️ 1. Before the Modern Motorway: Roads Were Built for Many Users Before purpose-built motorways became widespread, roads served many different types of users. Depending on location and era, a road could carry: 🚶 Pedestrians 🐎 Horses 🚲 Bicycles 🚗 Cars 🚌 Buses 🚛 Commercial vehicles There was often little separation between different types of traffic. As automobile ownership increased, this created a fundamental engineering problem. Vehicles were becoming faster. Roads were becoming busier. And mixing different traffic movements created more conflicts. The solution was increasingly to design roads specifically around motor vehicles. That was the beginning of the motorway concept. --- # 🚘 2. The Birth of the Controlled-Access Road One of the defining ideas behind the modern motorway is **access control**. Instead of allowing vehicles to enter and leave wherever they wanted, engineers created roads where access was concentrated at designated interchanges. This produced several advantages: 🚦 Fewer crossing movements 🚗 More consistent vehicle speeds 🛣️ Continuous traffic flow 🔀 Controlled merging and diverging 🚶 Separation from pedestrians and local traffic The motorway became a road designed primarily for uninterrupted motor travel. --- # 🏗️ 3. Early Motorway Design Focused on Speed and Separation Early motorway engineering was revolutionary because it separated fast-moving traffic from many of the conflicts found on ordinary roads. Key characteristics included: * Separate carriageways * Grade-separated junctions * Controlled entrances and exits * Limited pedestrian access * Dedicated road space The fundamental philosophy was: **Keep traffic moving.** That idea shaped motorway design for much of the 20th century. --- # 🗺️ 4. The 1930s and the Early Motorway Vision During the early 20th century, several countries experimented with high-speed roads. Germany's Autobahn network became one of the most influential examples of large-scale controlled-access highway development. Italy had also developed the autostrada concept earlier, with the first sections opening in the 1920s. These projects demonstrated that roads could be designed as dedicated high-speed transportation corridors rather than simply improved versions of ordinary streets. The engineering principles established during this period would influence motorway development for decades. --- # 🚦 5. Postwar Expansion Changed Everything After World War II, automobile ownership expanded rapidly in many countries. Economic growth produced more: 🚗 Passenger cars 🚛 Trucks 🏭 Industrial activity 🏙️ Urban expansion The road network had to accommodate unprecedented demand. Governments began investing heavily in major highway systems. One of the most famous examples was the development of the **Interstate Highway System** in the United States beginning in the 1950s. The Interstate system transformed long-distance road transportation and connected cities, industrial centers, ports, and communities on an enormous scale. The motorway had become more than a road. It was becoming national economic infrastructure. --- # 🛣️ 6. The 1950s: Building for Mass Motorization The 1950s brought a major change in motorway philosophy. Engineers increasingly had to design for large numbers of vehicles rather than occasional high-speed travel. That meant calculating: 📊 Traffic capacity 🚗 Vehicle speeds 🔀 Interchange demand 🚛 Truck traffic 🛣️ Lane requirements 🧱 Pavement strength The question changed from: **"Can cars travel quickly?"** to: **"How many vehicles can this road reliably carry?"** --- # 🏙️ 7. Motorways Entered the Cities As cities grew, motorways increasingly reached urban areas. This created new problems. A rural motorway can occupy large amounts of land. An urban motorway has to interact with: 🏢 Buildings 🏘️ Neighborhoods 🚇 Public transportation 🚦 City streets 🌳 Parks 🚶 Pedestrians Urban motorway engineering therefore became much more complicated. Engineers began using: 🌉 Elevated roadways 🚇 Tunnels 🔀 Multi-level interchanges 🧱 Retaining structures These solutions allowed major roads to pass through dense environments. But they also created social and environmental consequences that would influence motorway planning later. --- # 🌀 8. Interchanges Became Engineering Masterpieces As motorway networks expanded, intersections became increasingly complex. Traditional intersections couldn't handle enormous volumes of high-speed traffic. So engineers developed grade-separated interchanges. Vehicles could: ➡️ Continue straight ↗️ Merge ↘️ Exit 🔄 Change direction without crossing directly through opposing traffic. Over time, interchange designs became increasingly sophisticated. Some evolved into enormous multi-level structures that resemble giant pieces of geometric art. --- # 📐 9. Geometry Became More Sophisticated Early motorway engineering established basic principles. Later engineers refined them. They carefully studied: ↪️ Curve radius ⛰️ Vertical alignment 👀 Sight distance 🛣️ Lane width 🚗 Merge areas ↔️ Separation between carriageways The objective was to create roads that allowed vehicles to travel quickly while giving drivers enough time and space to perceive the road and respond. --- # 🚧 10. The 1960s: Capacity Becomes the Priority By the 1960s, many major motorway networks were experiencing rapidly increasing traffic. The solution often appeared obvious: **Build more lanes.** Motorways expanded from two lanes each way to three, four, or even more lanes in heavily traveled corridors. But engineers gradually discovered a difficult reality. More road capacity can encourage additional traffic. This phenomenon is often discussed as **induced demand**. When a road becomes easier to use, more people may choose it. That can reduce some congestion initially while contributing to increased traffic over time. The relationship between road capacity and congestion became one of transportation engineering's most complicated questions. --- # 🚛 11. Heavy Freight Became a Major Design Consideration As industrial economies expanded, trucks became increasingly important. Motorways had to accommodate heavier and more frequent freight traffic. That affected: 🛣️ Pavement thickness 🌉 Bridge design 🔀 Interchanges 🅿️ Rest areas ⛽ Service facilities Road engineers could no longer design primarily around passenger cars. The motorway became a major freight corridor. --- # 🧱 12. Pavement Engineering Advanced The pavement beneath a motorway became an increasingly sophisticated engineering system. Engineers studied: 🧪 Asphalt behavior 🧱 Concrete 🌡️ Temperature 💧 Moisture 🚛 Repeated axle loads ⏳ Long-term fatigue A motorway may experience millions of vehicle passes during its lifetime. Every vehicle contributes a tiny amount of stress. Over decades, those tiny effects accumulate. --- # 🌧️ 13. Drainage Became a Bigger Engineering Discipline As motorway networks expanded, engineers learned more about the importance of water management. Poor drainage can contribute to: 🛣️ Pavement deterioration 🌊 Flooding 🪨 Erosion ⛰️ Slope instability Therefore, motorway design increasingly incorporated sophisticated drainage systems. The road surface had to work together with: 🚰 Culverts 🌧️ Channels 🕳️ Underground drainage 🌊 Water-management systems --- # 🌉 14. Bridges Became Longer and More Efficient Advances in structural engineering allowed motorways to cross increasingly difficult terrain. Engineers developed better methods for constructing: 🌉 Long-span bridges 🏔️ Valley crossings 🌊 Water crossings 🏙️ Urban viaducts Materials improved. Computer modeling improved. Construction machinery improved. Surveying became more accurate. This allowed motorway networks to reach places that previously required complex routes. --- # 🏔️ 15. Tunnels Opened New Routes Tunneling technology also advanced. Instead of winding around mountains, engineers could sometimes pass directly through them. Instead of building enormous surface structures through dense urban areas, they could place sections underground. Modern motorway tunnels can incorporate: 💨 Ventilation 💡 Lighting 📹 Cameras 🚨 Emergency systems 📡 Communications This transformed the possibilities of motorway alignment. --- # 🌱 16. The Environmental Awakening During the second half of the 20th century, public understanding of environmental impacts increased. Motorway projects were increasingly evaluated in terms of: 🌳 Habitat 🌊 Water 🌬️ Air quality 🔊 Noise 🏘️ Communities 🐾 Wildlife Engineers could no longer consider only: **How quickly can we build this road?** They increasingly had to consider: **What effect will this road have on everything around it?** --- # 🔊 17. Noise Barriers Became Common Engineering Features Large motorways can generate significant traffic noise. As roads moved closer to residential areas, engineers developed solutions including: 🧱 Noise barriers 🌳 Vegetation 🏗️ Road alignment changes 🏠 Building setbacks Noise became an engineering variable rather than merely a side effect. --- # 🐾 18. Wildlife Became Part of Road Design Motorways can fragment habitats. As environmental engineering developed, projects increasingly incorporated measures designed to reduce ecological impacts. These can include: 🌉 Wildlife crossings 🚇 Wildlife tunnels 🚧 Fencing 🌳 Habitat connections This represented a major philosophical change. The motorway was no longer considered independently from the environment. --- # 🛡️ 19. Safety Engineering Became More Sophisticated Early motorway design focused heavily on preventing conflicts through access control. Later decades introduced increasingly sophisticated safety engineering. Engineers studied: 🚗 Crash patterns 🛣️ Road geometry 🚧 Barriers 💡 Lighting 📢 Signs 🛑 Emergency areas They increasingly used data to identify dangerous locations. The motorway became a system that could be evaluated statistically. --- # 📊 20. Data Started Changing Road Design As computers became more powerful, transportation engineers gained new analytical capabilities. Instead of relying primarily on manual calculations and observations, engineers could model: 📈 Traffic flow 🔀 Interchange performance 🚗 Vehicle interactions 🛣️ Capacity ⏱️ Travel times This accelerated the transition from traditional road engineering toward computational transportation engineering. --- # 💻 21. The Computer Changed the Engineer's Toolkit Computer-aided design transformed infrastructure planning. Engineers could create detailed digital models. They could modify: 📐 Geometry 🌉 Structures 🚰 Drainage 🛣️ Pavement 🔀 Interchanges without physically redrawing every component. Digital modeling became increasingly central to large infrastructure projects. --- # 📡 22. The 1980s and 1990s: Electronics Enter the Motorway Another major transformation began when electronic technology became more affordable and reliable. Motorways increasingly gained: 📹 Cameras 📡 Sensors 🚦 Electronic signs 📞 Emergency communication systems 🖥️ Traffic-management centers The road was beginning to develop a digital layer. --- # 🚦 23. Variable Message Signs Traditional road signs provide fixed information. Electronic signs introduced something different: **Information that could change.** Operators could communicate: 🚧 Roadworks 🚨 Incidents 🐢 Congestion ⚠️ Warnings This gave motorway operators a new way to communicate directly with drivers. --- # 📹 24. Cameras Added Real-Time Visibility Cameras allowed traffic operators to see what was happening across large sections of road. This was especially valuable for: 🚨 Incident response 🚧 Roadworks 🐢 Congestion monitoring 🛣️ Traffic management The motorway was becoming something operators could observe continuously. --- # 📞 25. Emergency Communication Became More Integrated Emergency telephones and communication systems became another important feature on many motorway networks. The objective was straightforward: **Make it easier for drivers to request assistance.** This was another step toward treating the motorway as an operational system rather than just pavement and signs. --- # 🌐 26. The Internet Changed Travel Information As internet access became widespread, traffic information began moving beyond roadside infrastructure. Travelers could increasingly access: 🗺️ Maps 🚦 Traffic conditions ⏱️ Journey estimates 🚧 Incident information This marked an important transition. The motorway was no longer communicating only through signs. Information could follow the traveler. --- # 📱 27. Smartphones Changed Navigation Forever Then came smartphones. Navigation became something almost everyone could carry. Apps could combine: 📍 GPS 🗺️ Digital maps 🚦 Traffic data ⏱️ Estimated arrival times 🔄 Route alternatives The driver now had a dynamic information system inside the vehicle. The relationship between motorway and traveler changed dramatically. --- # 🧠 28. The Road Became Data-Driven As sensors, smartphones, GPS systems, and connected vehicles generated more information, transportation networks began producing enormous datasets. Engineers could analyze: 📊 Traffic volumes ⏱️ Travel times 📍 Congestion locations 🚨 Incident patterns 📅 Seasonal demand This allowed motorway management to become increasingly data-driven. --- # 🤖 29. The Rise of Intelligent Transportation Systems This period marked the emergence of **Intelligent Transportation Systems**, commonly called ITS. ITS combines information, communication, sensing, and control technologies to improve transportation operations. Applications can include: 🚦 Traffic management 📹 Incident detection 📡 Traveler information 🗺️ Navigation 🚘 Vehicle connectivity The motorway was no longer only physical infrastructure. It was becoming an information system. --- # 🐢 30. Managed Motorways Represent a Major Shift Traditional motorway philosophy often emphasized building enough physical capacity. Managed motorway concepts introduced another possibility: **Use technology to manage existing capacity more dynamically.** Depending on the system, this can involve: 🚦 Variable speed limits 🚧 Lane controls 📢 Dynamic signs 📹 Cameras 📊 Traffic monitoring The objective is to make better use of the infrastructure that already exists. --- # 🛣️ 31. Hard Shoulders and Dynamic Lane Management Some motorway systems have experimented with using shoulders or lanes dynamically during periods of high traffic. These approaches vary considerably by country and design. The engineering challenge is maintaining: 🛡️ Safety 🚗 Traffic capacity 🚨 Emergency access 📢 Clear driver communication The technology must be reliable because the operational rules can change depending on traffic conditions. --- # 📡 32. Sensors Create a Digital Nervous System Modern motorway systems can collect information from: 📹 Cameras 📡 Radar 🔌 Inductive loops 🌦️ Weather stations 🚗 Vehicle systems This data can be processed to understand what is happening across the road network. The motorway now has something resembling a nervous system: **Sensors = senses** **Communication networks = nerves** **Control centers = brain** **Traffic-management equipment = response mechanisms** It isn't literally alive, of course. But the analogy explains the transformation remarkably well. --- # 🔮 33. Prediction Is the Next Stage The next evolution is moving from observation toward prediction. A system can ask: **Where is traffic now?** But a more advanced system can ask: **Where will traffic be 15 minutes from now?** Predictive models can combine: 📊 Historical traffic 🚗 Current vehicle volumes 🌦️ Weather 🚧 Roadworks 🚨 Incidents 📅 Calendar patterns This creates the possibility of more proactive traffic management. --- # 🤖 34. Artificial Intelligence Enters the Picture AI can help analyze huge amounts of transportation data. Potential applications include: 🧠 Pattern recognition 🚨 Incident detection 📈 Traffic prediction 📹 Video analysis 🔧 Maintenance forecasting Research into future motorway systems increasingly highlights AI, real-time data, connected vehicles, cybersecurity, and integrated transportation systems. The key change is not simply "using AI." It is using computational intelligence to help the motorway become more responsive. --- # ⚡ 35. Electric Vehicles Are Changing Motorway Infrastructure For much of motorway history, the fuel system was relatively straightforward. Drivers stopped at: ⛽ Fuel stations Electric vehicles create a different infrastructure requirement. Drivers need: 🔋 Charging stations ⚡ Electrical capacity 📱 Charger information 🅿️ Charging spaces Future motorway design therefore needs to integrate transportation and energy infrastructure. --- # 🔋 36. Service Areas Are Becoming Energy Hubs A traditional motorway service area might have: ⛽ Fuel 🍔 Food 🚻 Restrooms 🅿️ Parking Future facilities can increasingly include: ⚡ High-power EV charging 🔋 Energy-management systems 📱 Digital availability information 🚛 Electric-freight charging This changes the purpose of the motorway stop. It becomes a mobility and energy hub. --- # 🚘 37. Connected Vehicles Are Changing the Road-Vehicle Relationship Historically, the road provided information through signs and markings. The driver interpreted it. Connected vehicles can potentially receive information digitally. The relationship becomes: **Road → Data → Vehicle → Driver** and potentially: **Vehicle → Data → Road Network** This creates a two-way information ecosystem. --- # 🧠 38. The Vehicle Is Becoming Part of the Infrastructure A connected car can generate information about: 📍 Location 🚗 Speed 🛣️ Road conditions ⚠️ Potential hazards Traffic patterns When aggregated responsibly, vehicle-generated data can provide another source of information for transportation management. The vehicle is no longer merely consuming road infrastructure. It can become part of the information network. --- # 🏙️ 39. Motorways Are Becoming Connected to Cities Modern mobility doesn't stop at the motorway exit. Traffic flows between: 🛣️ Motorways 🏙️ Urban roads 🚉 Transit systems 🅿️ Parking 🚲 Micromobility ⚡ Charging networks The future motorway therefore needs to interact with the wider transportation ecosystem. --- # 🌍 40. Climate Resilience Is Shaping the New Generation Today's motorway engineers face environmental challenges that earlier generations didn't necessarily anticipate in the same way. Design increasingly considers resilience against: 🌡️ Extreme heat 🌧️ Heavy rainfall 🌊 Flooding ❄️ Severe winter conditions 🌪️ Strong winds Infrastructure that lasts decades needs to be designed with long-term conditions in mind. --- # 🧱 41. Materials Continue to Evolve Modern pavement research explores materials and construction methods designed to improve: ⏳ Durability 🛣️ Performance 🌡️ Climate resistance ♻️ Recyclability 💰 Lifecycle cost The future of motorway engineering isn't necessarily about making roads dramatically thicker. It is about making infrastructure perform better over its entire lifecycle. --- # 🔧 42. Maintenance Is Becoming Predictive Older motorway maintenance often followed schedules. Modern systems can increasingly use condition data. Instead of: **Inspect → Find problem → Repair** the future can increasingly move toward: **Monitor → Detect change → Predict deterioration → Schedule intervention** Sensors, drones, imaging, and analytics can contribute to this approach. --- # 🛰️ 43. Drones and Remote Inspection Infrastructure inspection is becoming increasingly digital. Drones can capture detailed imagery of: 🌉 Bridges 🛣️ Pavement ⛰️ Slopes 🏗️ Construction areas This allows engineers to examine large areas efficiently and monitor changes over time. --- # 🗺️ 44. Digital Twins Could Transform Future Planning A digital twin can provide a digital representation of a physical motorway. Such a model could potentially integrate: 🚗 Traffic 🛣️ Infrastructure 🌦️ Weather 🚧 Incidents 🔧 Maintenance data Engineers could use simulations to test potential changes before implementing them physically. That could make future motorway planning more experimental and data-driven. --- # 🏗️ 45. Construction Is Becoming More Digital Modern motorway projects increasingly use: 📐 3D modeling 🛰️ GNSS positioning 🚁 Drones 📊 Digital project management 💻 BIM Automated machinery can use digital positioning and design data to improve construction accuracy. The boundary between design and construction is becoming increasingly digital. --- # 🔐 46. Cybersecurity Is Now Part of Road Engineering As motorways become connected, cybersecurity becomes increasingly important. A traditional road has relatively few digital attack surfaces. A connected motorway can contain: 📡 Communications 🖥️ Control systems 📹 Cameras 🚦 Electronic signs 📊 Data platforms These systems need protection. The motorway must now be resilient in two dimensions: **Physical resilience** and **Digital resilience.** --- # 🚘 47. Autonomous Driving Could Create Another Revolution The next major motorway transformation could come from increasingly automated vehicles. Autonomous systems need reliable information about: 🛣️ Lane markings 🚦 Traffic controls 🚧 Temporary road changes ⚠️ Hazards 📍 Road geometry This may encourage deeper communication between vehicles and infrastructure. --- # 🧠 48. The Future Motorway Could Be Predictive Imagine a motorway that recognizes a pattern. It sees traffic increasing. It knows rain is approaching. It detects a slowdown several kilometers ahead. Its models predict congestion. Traffic-management systems respond. Digital signs warn drivers. Navigation platforms receive information. Connected vehicles adjust their behavior. A maintenance system simultaneously monitors infrastructure. The road isn't waiting for the problem to become obvious. It is attempting to anticipate it. --- # 🛣️ 49. From Road to Platform This is perhaps the most important historical transformation. ### Early road A physical surface. ### Classic motorway A high-speed transportation corridor. ### Modern motorway A high-capacity managed network. ### Intelligent motorway A connected physical-digital transportation system. The infrastructure hasn't disappeared. It has gained another layer. --- # 📊 50. A Timeline of Motorway Evolution ### 🚗 Early 20th Century Roads primarily designed around growing automobile traffic. ### 🛣️ 1920s–1930s Early controlled-access highways demonstrate new possibilities. ### 🏗️ 1950s Mass motorization drives large-scale motorway construction. ### 🚘 1960s Capacity expansion and complex interchanges become increasingly important. ### 🌉 1970s Structural engineering, environmental concerns, and safety analysis grow in importance. ### 💻 1980s Computers increasingly influence design and traffic management. ### 📡 1990s Cameras, sensors, electronic signs, and traffic-control systems expand. ### 🌐 2000s Internet-based travel information and digital navigation become mainstream. ### 📱 2010s Smartphones, GPS, connected vehicles, and data-driven traffic management accelerate. ### 🤖 2020s AI, predictive analytics, EV charging, digital twins, and connected infrastructure become major areas of development. ### 🚀 Future Increasing integration between roads, vehicles, energy systems, cities, and intelligent digital networks. --- # 🔮 What Will the Next Decade Bring? The next phase of motorway evolution could involve several technologies developing simultaneously. ### 🤖 AI-powered traffic prediction Systems that anticipate congestion before it fully develops. ### 🚘 Connected vehicles Vehicles communicating with infrastructure and other vehicles. ### ⚡ EV infrastructure More powerful and intelligently managed charging networks. ### 🛰️ Advanced monitoring Drones, sensors, imaging, and remote inspection. ### 🗺️ Digital twins Virtual representations of major transportation networks. ### 🔧 Predictive maintenance Infrastructure problems identified before major failure. ### 🌱 Climate resilience Motorways designed around increasingly demanding environmental conditions. ### 🔐 Cybersecurity Digital infrastructure protected as carefully as physical infrastructure. --- # 🌟 The Biggest Change: Motorways Learned to Adapt The history of motorway design is ultimately a story about adaptation. The road adapted to: 🚗 Faster vehicles 🚛 Heavier trucks 📈 More traffic 🏙️ Larger cities 🌱 Environmental requirements 🛡️ Safety expectations 💻 Digital technology 📱 Connected travelers ⚡ Electric vehicles 🤖 Artificial intelligence Each generation added another layer. The motorway of the future will likely continue that pattern. --- # 🧭 Final Thoughts: From Asphalt to Intelligence For most of its history, motorway engineering was primarily about building better physical infrastructure. Better pavement. Better bridges. Better tunnels. Better interchanges. Better drainage. Better safety barriers. Today, those things remain essential. But something new has been added. The motorway can now become: 📡 **Connected** 📊 **Data-driven** 🤖 **Predictive** 🚦 **Responsive** ⚡ **Energy-aware** 🔧 **Condition-aware** 🚘 **Vehicle-connected** 🌍 **Environmentally conscious** The greatest change isn't that motorways have become more technologically complicated. It's that the definition of a motorway has expanded. A motorway used to be something you **drove on**. Increasingly, it is something that **communicates, monitors, manages, and interacts with the journey**. And that evolution is far from finished. The next generation of motorway design may not be defined by how many lanes a road has. It may be defined by how intelligently those lanes, vehicles, sensors, energy systems, cities, and digital networks work together. The future motorway won't simply be built. It will be **connected, monitored, analyzed, and continuously improved.** 🛣️📡🚗🤖⚡🌍 #️⃣ **#MotorwayDesign #MotorwayEngineering #HistoryOfRoads #RoadEngineering #SmartMotorways #SmartRoads #TransportationEngineering #FutureOfTravel #FutureMobility #Infrastructure #SmartInfrastructure #IntelligentTransport #TrafficEngineering #RoadTechnology #ConnectedVehicles #ConnectedMobility #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #TrafficManagement #DigitalInfrastructure #ElectricVehicles #EVCharging #PredictiveMaintenance #DigitalTwin #AutonomousVehicles #RoadSafety #SustainableInfrastructure #TransportInnovation #FutureTransport #Engineering**