Vacation Highway or Military Express?
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Vacation Highway or Military Express?
In “Vacation Highway or Military Express?,” Episode #261, Meredith Curtis introduces you to the US Interstates. Discover how and why it was built, what inspired the system, and who started it. How do they number the Interstates? Why are they limited-access roads with exits instead of lights and stop signs? What happened to the US Routes (like Route 66) after the highway system was built? Which Interstate is the longest? Which Interstate is the busiest?
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Show Notes
When was the last time you got on a US Interstate?
Dwight D Eisenhower
As a young lieutenant colonel, Dwight D. Eisenhower was part of a convoy across America from Washington DC to San Francisco, CA, testing various Army vehicles.
(Info I share in this section was gleaned from https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2006/summer/interstates.html )
German Autobahn
Germany planned highway system in the 1920s. When Nazis took over, Hitler, and then East & West Germany completed the project. Connecting every corner of Germany, the Autobahn has 8,000 miles of road and is a fast, efficient highway.
General Eisenhower noticed that the German Autobahn made it very easy to transport troops.
Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956
Road building was a states-only issue. On June 29, 1956, President Eisenhower signed the Federal Highway Act to give federal aid to states to build US Interstate.
The Interstate System Today
Look at the map below and notice how the interstates are numbered.
The north-south Interstate highways are odd-numbered west to east, starting with 5 and ending with 95.
East-west highways are even-numbered south to north, from I-4 to I-94.
If a sign has 3 digits, it’s a helper road near a big city.
Limited Access Roads
No stoplights or stop signs on the interstate, just one long continuous freeway. Exits only.
The main purpose of the interstate is for the military to get from any point in the US to any other point as quickly as possible. In a national emergency, all exits could be shut to allow troops to move quickly.
What happened to the Old US Routes & US Highways?
Below, you can see a map of Interstate 40. I-40 is the third-longest freeway in the US. Construction began in several different states in 1957, and the final leg was finished in 1990.
From Oklahoma City to Barstow, it parallels US Route 66. CARS.
Longest & Busiest Interstates?
I-90 is the longest interstate running from Boston, MA to Seattle, WA.
I-5 is the busiest interstate.
Learning Fun with the Interstate
Plan a trip on an Interstate. Visit at least 3 different exits. What does that city offer? Where will you stay? What will you do?
Books about the Interstate System: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/interstate/brainiacs/booksenjoy.cfm
Ten Things You Should Know About the Interstate System https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/interstate/brainiacs/thingsyoucando.cfm
Plan a road trip on a US Interstate – FREE pdf file:///C:/Users/Mered/Downloads/(14)Plan%20a%20Trip_US%20Interstates.pdf
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