Today is the 50th anniversary of President Dwight D. Eisenhower signing the legislation that established the interstate highway system, the largest public works project of the 20th century. It reshaped America, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. Overall, I will say the former more than the latter.
Recent articles:
The Superhighway to Everywhere – The Post
Traveling down a road of history – The Sun
U.S. interstate system marks 50 years today – USA Today
Highway System at 50 – NPR
Interstate Highway System at a Crossroads; A Crumbling Legacy – ABC News
More on Interstate highways:
Celebrating 50 Years: Eisenhower Interstate System
International House of Zzyzx Interstate list – the original online interstate list. It appears to be rarely updated though.
Interstate-Guide.com – AA Roads, updated regularly
3-digit Interstate Highways – Kurumi.com
dcroads.net, nycroads.com, phillyroads.com, bostonroads.com – Steve Anderson
There are more sites linked from my Transportation section.
For the record, my favorite mainline interstate is I-95, but you could probably guess that already. My favorite 3-digit interstate is probably I-295 in Delaware and New Jersey, though I have soft spots for I-287 (also Jersey) and . My feelings for our own I-495 are love-hate.
My favorite on-ramp is from I-80 EAST to I-81 SOUTH, near the old school. If you hit it at the right speed, you get a nice slingshot effect.
How I would do it
Just for fun, additions I would make to the interstate system, if I could just draw them on the map and make it real
Eliminate I-97 in Maryland, since it is too precious a number for what should really be I-995.
Promote MD 32 to I-595
Stretch I-95 further south in Florida via the Florida Turnpike. Further north, finish the new connection at the Pennsylvania Turnpike quicker.
Make NJ 495 an interstate again. I know it is substandard, but a road as cool as the Lincoln Tunnel approach needs to have more recognition than a state highway number.
Bring DC 295 up to interstate standards (along with the I-66 extension) a rename it and the B/W Parkway I-295 all the way to Baltimore.
Extend I-93 down MA 3 to Cape Cod
Extend I-86 from Harriman to Rye along I-87 and I-287 in New York State, eliminating I-287 through NY State.
Extend I-83 from Harrisburg to Rochester, NY along the US 15 corridor. There would only need to be 40 or so miles of construction to pull this off.
Promote PA 581 to I-581.
Upgrade US 15 south of Harrisburg to I-181
Extend I-80 across the George Washington Bridge. The road should literally go from New York to San Francisco
Extend I-78 from Harrisburg to State College along US 322
Make the Leigh Valley Thruway I-278 between Allentown and PA 33.
Make PA 33 something like I-478
Extend I-76 along the Atlantic City Expressway. Also, make NJ 55 something like I-576 and extend to the Garden State Parkway in an environmentally sensitive way.
Create I-170 for US 340 near Frederick
Create I-570 along MD 100 (and the north end of US 29). Close by, MD becomes I-470.
Extend I-66 down VA 110, across the 14th Street Bridge, down the SW/SE Freeway across the Anacostia Freeway, up Kenilworth Ave. to join US 50 all the way to Delmarva peninsula. The Roosevelt Bridge portion of I-66 would be come I-166. Falling that idea, create Business I-66 along US 50 in the District and have it become regular I-66 when US 50 becomes limited access in NE.
Create I-366 along VA 267 (Dulles Toll Road) to Leesburg
Upgrade VA 28 to I-166 north of I-66 once the conversion to limited access is complete.
Fix the Hampton Road mess — Move the “eastern terminus” of I-64 to the VA Beach oceanfront, replacing I-264. Extend I-664 from Bowers Hill to the current I-64/I-264 interchange.
And of course
Rename i-99 to a more sensible number, like I-470. Del. 1 becomes the new I-99
Lastly
Bring back button copy signs!
Here is fun comment that didn’t get migrated:
“Can’t you people see? This man wants nothing less than utter control of the entire Federal Highway System!”
— quote from the unwritten WFY biopic…or perhaps from the equally unwritten WFY/TWH film collaboration, “The Punxatwany Candidate”
# posted by Blogger T William Harrison : Thursday, June 29, 2006 2:59:00 PM
