The U.S. Interstate Highway System is the largest earth-moving project in the history of the world. Nearly 42 billion cubic yards of earth were moved to build the system—by contrast the Panama Canal moved a mere 362,000,000 cubic yards. Enough concrete was used to construct the Interstate System to build a wall nine feet thick and 50 feet high around the world.
These are just some of the fascinating facts unearthed by best-selling author and Interstate expert Dan McNichol in “The Roads That Built America,” newly released to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of the U.S. Interstate Highway System in June 2006.
The book chronicles the “Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways.” Connecting borders, coasts, cities and small towns, the Interstate System is comprised of 62 highways, 54,663 bridges and 104 tunnels and was strategically designed to reduce travel times, improve commerce and protect the nation from military aggression.
Launched in 1956, and now nearly complete, the Interstate System is the thread that binds the fabric of America. Past, present and future, McNichol tells amazing stories of the country’s vast network of over 46,000 miles of superhighways, how they helped create the America we know today and what progress there is still to be made.
The book highlights how the Interstates helped create suburban life and caused the proliferation of businesses like Howard Johnson, McDonalds, Holiday Inn and UPS. Through the incorporation of brilliant photography, “The Roads That Built America” allows readers to take a different kind of road trip and to discover the amazing system of roadways that unites the country.
The Washington, D.C.-based American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), the national organization founded in 1902 to help make the Interstate System a reality, will be launching a national communications campaign later this spring, which will use the book to educate elected officials and the general public about the many positive impacts of the Interstates on America, and highlight the transportation needs and challenges in the future.
“The Roads That Built America” can be purchased for $16, plus shipping and handling by contacting ARTBA’s Karen Evans at 202/289-4434 or via e-mail at [email protected]. It is also available for sale online at www.artbastore.org.
