Jun 29, 2015
On June 29, 1956, the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act
was signed into law by U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower.
Here are a few things you may not have known about the Act and the
Interstate Highway system it funded.
First, Eisenhower had two inspirations for the Interstate system.
The first was the 1919 Army Convoy on the Lincoln Highway, the
first transcontinental road. The convoy averaged a little over five
and a half miles per hour, and the trip took two months. The second
inspiration was the German Autobahn, which Eisenhower became
familiar with during World War II.
Second, the system was designed to provide ease of movement across
the country by both civilians and the military. Interstates were
placed near Air Force bases to help move troops in the event of a
foreign invasion.
Third, the original act creating the Interstate system raised 25
billion dollars for the project. As of today, an estimated 425
billion dollars have been spent on the nearly 50,000-mile
system.
Our question, U.S. Interstate system is the world's second-longest
motorway system. Which country has the longest system?
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