You may find one of the comments on the article interesting. Here's a excerpt:

  > "Niether can you compare the road systems. Europe never 
  > had a mercantile road system because it never needed 
  > one because of the excellent water transport. Europe 
  > has the highest density of navigable rivers in the 
  > world as well as the longest fractal coastline. Few 
  > places in Europe were more than a half-day travel by 
  > wagon from water transport. All they needed were short
  > stretches of local road to connect 
  > to the nearest water transport.

[1] http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/12/the-chinese-wheelbarr...