As of now (31st of May,2014) the Solar Roadways Indiegogo project is finished, and it almost reached double its goal of $1,000,000 .
The project of creating solar roads has been long in the works, with prototypes and videos good enough to inspire investors already released in 2010, like this one (from a YERT documentary):
The problems they sought to overcome in that video have been solved, including the weight issue:
As mentioned in the first video, many of the components necessary for the production of this solar roadway can be recovered from goods currently considered trash (lacking the profit incentive to be recycled). Not only would this project boost available energy, decentralize the power-grid, and reduce dependency on fossil fuels, it would even make driving safer and electronic cars logical.
The solar road will be capable of heating themselves to melt ice, displaying messages to drivers, and light up when being “walked on” at night to protect animals. Well, you can actually let them explain it in-depth in their newest promo (used for their Indiegogo campaign).
Not only all this, but they have even managed to already get political attention and backing, and you can watch Idaho’s senator Mike Crapo talk about it in this clip:
Issues with the copper wiring needed for electronics can be circumvented with graphene, and analogous solutions can be found for the other environmentally and economically sensitive parts of production. Connecting the electric grid through underground wiring is also a far more effective solution than continuing the use of above-ground poles (which routinely fall down in storms), and is a solution already adopted in most of Europe.
Solar roads seem like a great idea for connecting energy infrastructure and increasing solar power generation at the same time. Still, it seems ridiculous to then use this very same energy to make them glow at night, which is why more simple and already operational techniques, like creating glow-in-the-dark roads as are now being used in the Netherlands.
So although solar roads would not solve all of our problems, it would certainly solve a few. There is absolutely no rational reason that this project cannot be applied. These solar roadways seems to be a far better answer to our energy and infrastructure concerns than anything else on the table right now.