USA Interstate Highways...When? Where? Why?USA Interstate Highways....Why do we have them? Read on.
I don't know about you...but interstates can be pretty boring. Yes, you get there, wherever that is, quick, but my, oh, my....what has happened to this wonderful USA...we have become, I'm afraid, a people going places quickly, but forgetting to see the sights. Off on all those smaller roads there is more interesting viewing for sure...and unique places to shop and eat, although they probably won't provide you with free internet access the way the interstate roadside stops are doing now...so there is a definite trade off, for sure. By 1956, Dwight D. Eisenhower, signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act committing the government to heavy investment in USA interstate highways. The US government was to pay 90% of new roads which were 4 lanes wide with no level crossings...mandatory standards in 1960's. One of the main motives for these new USA interstate highways was national security in case of attack, when military convoys could be transported, cities evacuated quickly, and the high over passes would allow for ballistic missles to pass beneath. Today, the USA, including Alaska and Puerto Rico, has 46,876 miles of interstate highways. I-90, running east and west through 13 states, is the longest at 3,000 miles. So..just what does one see on these interstates? Not much when compared to the east west Lincoln highway which ran through several main streets and the popular Route 66. An exchange was made for social interaction and serendipity for speed and efficiency. Now we need stereos, dvd players and cell phones to keep us occupied on our long journeys. Oh....then there are games like "Hey Cow!" which help pass the time too...and bring some laughs. In 1962 John Steinbeck was complaining about these "see-nothing" roads. What else happened to the USA? Yup...fast food chain restaurants sprang up...no more mom and pop meals on your trips to grandma's house. Other businesses soon caught on and factories such as car and truck plants sprouted by access ramps. As traffic is steered from city centers soon they are no longer the centers....like centrifical force need meeting venues also spread outward. So....the evolution of interstates and busy roads continues. Have a new buisness? Hope you can find a spot on the interstate...else...well...let's just say...hope you find a place on the interstate. Better yet, start an online business from home...no overhead...and no commute...yup, you can even live in one of those far-off-the-interstate-quiet-places and still live the good life. Now....find out the real, honest-to-goodness way that Interstate 35W was made. You may be surprised!
Go to Kari's main page after USA Interstate Highways.
|
