The 70th Anniversary of America’s Interstate System
This week is the 250th anniversary of the founding of the American nation. It is a wonderful week to celebrate the United States, and our ongoing shared journey to create a more perfect union for all Americans.
Of course, one of the best ways to unite this great nation is with transportation. And there is probably no better example of this than the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, more popularly known as the Interstate System. It turns out that this week also marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Interstate System, when president Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1946, on June 29, 1946.
There are a number of articles and webpages on the Interstates, including the US Department of Transportation website and a few others (examples here and here).
The Interstates have served this region, state, and nation well, by connecting metropolitan areas, streamlining interstate travel, and facilitating commerce across the country. There are of course many other critical examples of mobility — our national aviation system, our freight railroads that connect the continent, our marine transportation system of inland and intracoastal waterways, transit systems in cities across the country, and so on. Still, there is no substitute for the 45,000+ miles Interstates and the companion non-Interstate freeway network.
Last week, The Road Information Program (TRIP) released a report on the nation’s Interstates that highlighted the economic importance of the system for the states and the nation. The associated study reported more than $2 billion in mobility and safety benefits for North Carolina alone. The companion release from TRIP included quotes from several national leaders. One example is Jim Tymon, the executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, who noted that “a safe, interconnected, well-maintained, and efficiently operated national transportation network is essential to our nation’s security and economy. The Interstate Highway System plays a pivotal role within that network, moving people and freight alike to their destinations safely.”
Our region has benefited from a growing network of Interstate freeways, and RTA will continue to support its improvement and expansion to ensure the success of the metropolitan Triangle, and our state and nation.
Let’s get moving,
Joe
Joe Milazzo II, PE
RTA executive director
