Interstate Highway System: 50th Anniversary

Steve Melito writes "This week, CR4: The Engineer's Place for Discussion and News, celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Eisenhower Interstate Highway System, "a giant nationwide engineering project" that transformed a nation. In 1994, the American Society of Civil Engineers described the Eisenhower Interstate Highway System as "one of the Seven Wonders of the United States". In 2006, this network of roads includes 46,000 miles of highway; 55,000 bridges; 82 tunnels, and 14,000 interchanges. According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHA), excavation for the interstate system has moved enough material to bury the State of Connecticut knee-deep in dirt. The amount of Portland cement could build more than 80 Hoover dams, or lay six sidewalks to the moon. The lumber used would consume all of the trees in 500 square miles of forest. The structural steel could build 170 skyscrapers the size of the Empire State Building, and meet nearly half of the annual requirements of the American auto industry. Check back with CR4 all week as we cover the 'Roots of the Road,' 'the Politics of Passage,' 'Adventures in Civil Engineering,' and 'The Road Ahead.'" One of the things that's interesting about why Eisenhower pushed for the highway system was that he saw the Autobahn system in Germany during the occupation post-WWII and knew that that was one of the things that the United States needed to develop.

Errr, hold on. Say what?

[coupland]

>"The amount of Portland cement could build more than 80 Hoover dams, or lay six sidewalks to the moon"

Wait a minute, nobody told me six sidewalks to the moon was one of the options! I would have totally voted for the sidewalk thing...

Moonwalk

[Scaba]

The amount of Portland cement could build more than 80 Hoover dams, or lay six sidewalks to the moon.

That's what they should have done instead. I'd walk to the moon.

They left off the part...

[p!ssa]

about enough potholes to covers the surface of Jupiter six times and enough roadwork delays to equal 13 years of your life waitng in congested traffic to get to work :/

Re:Errr, hold on. Say what?

[CrazyJim1]

Call your local state representative. You may have to go around collecting signatures too.

Happy birthday!

[Hrodvitnir]

And to celebrate, every inch is getting a facelift! Now, everyone please merge over into the right lane and slow to half speed. Be careful of the bright orange barrels; they have to last until the work starts in 6-8 months.

Huh?

[FrankSchwab]

55,000 bridges on 46,000 miles of highway? More than 1 bridge per mile? Sounds like we should've done a better job of surveying the route before starting to build freeways.

Re:Errr, hold on. Say what?

[SydShamino]

According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHA), excavation for the interstate system has moved enough material to bury the State of Connecticut knee-deep in dirt. The amount of Portland cement could build more than 80 Hoover dams, or lay six sidewalks to the moon.

But how much is that in Libraries of Congress per Nielsen market shares?

Re:Moonwalk

[TWX]

That's what they should have done instead. I'd walk to the moon.

Yeah, but pretty soon you'd be changing races, enjoying the company of little boys, and wearing facemasks to court...

Re:Pennsylvania

[lbmouse]

Same thing in NE Ohio.

In 1994, the American Society of Civil Engineers described the Eisenhower Interstate Highway System as "one of the Seven Wonders of the United States".

"Why the hell do I have to get a wheel alignment every two months"... is the only thing I ever 'wonder' about when driving on the NEO highway system.

Cultural side-effects

[Rob T Firefly]

This is also when America's country/western musicians mourn the death of music focused entirely on horses, women, and beer, and celebrate the birth of an art form focused entirely on highways, women, and beer.

Re:Too bad

[rolofft]

Our lack of a national public transportation system is wasteful and embarassing.

Why doesn't Amtrak make you proud?

Re:Both WWI and WWII

[Anonymous Coward]

...so you're saying Ike wanted to make America easier to invade? ;)

Re:In Canada

[Gattman01]

How did that song go?

To go anywhere in Canada, just follow the only road!

Re:Both WWI and WWII

[Quill_28]

See. Now that is funny.

Re:Errr, hold on. Say what?

[sto 237]

From TFA: According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHA), excavation for the interstate system has moved enough material to bury the State of Connecticut knee-deep in dirt.

Please stop comparing our size to the size of other things; please stop covering us to a certain thickness in material; please stop laying our women end to end (and remarking that no one would be surprised); please stop filling in other places or events with multiples of our population. Enough is enough!

-- Connecticut Residents Against Nonconsensual Comparisons

Re:Government vs. Private

[10Brett-T]

How do we know we wouldn't all be flying inexpensive planes rather than cars?

Because those of us who make passable drivers just might not cut the mustard as pilots. For example, I'm colorblind. Do you really want me trying to pick out a backyard grass runway from 10,000 feet at 175 mph?

Re:Errr, hold on. Say what?

[Golias]

excavation for the interstate system has moved enough material to bury the State of Connecticut knee-deep in dirt.

That one would not have been a bad move, either.

Re:They left off the part...

[EXMSFT]

Potholes are exactly that. Holes. How would you cover something in them? Or you mean fill them with dough. Like doughnut holes? Then cover Jupiter? Mmmm... Deep fried Jupiter...

Re:Errr, hold on. Say what?

[jrmiller84]

Screw the space elevator, I'm walking.

Re:Moonwalk

[Scaba]

I'm reading and posting on Slashdot, which clearly shows I also have nothing else to do with my time...

Well...

[CComMack]

Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall... :-)

Re:Errr, hold on. Say what?

[zolaar]

What they didn't mention was the necessary costs involved in building the twelve guard rails required for the six sidewalks. Without the guardrails, any Joe could just shove you off the side. Then you'd be chewed to bits by the space alligators at the bottom of the interterralunar moat.

Like that guy in that one movie? D'jou see that flick?

That was awesome.

Re:Pennsylvania

[saigon_from_europe]

I've spent two months in Michigan this year, and I find the state of highways in USA disastrous. I've heard that Eisenhower saw that German roads after the war, and they made US system after them... I guess that state of USA highways system would be much better if their model was German autobahn system *before* the war and all the bombing...