Later corduroy roads were built across these areas were traffic got mired in the mud. A corduroy road consisted of logs laid across the road as a rail tie is across the rail line, however the logs were placed one against another and mud filled between the logs for a smoother surface. One log provided about  of roadway, so only the worst areas were constructed in this fashion.
Later corduroy roads were built to alleviate traffic difficulties on muddy terrain. These roads employed logs laid across the road like railroad ties, with mud filling the space between them for a smoother surface. Each log contributed roughly one-third of the roadway's length, and only the most challenging sections were constructed using this method.