In February 1994, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
designated the Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense
Highways as one of the "Seven Wonders of the United States." (Other
"wonders" include the Golden Gate Bridge, Hoover Darn, and the
Panama Canal.) The interstate system has often been called "the greatest
public works project in history." It not only linked the nation, but it
boosted productivity and helped sustain a more than tenfold increase in
the gross national product since the start of the program in 1956. His
first realization of the value of good highways occurred in 1919, when
he participated in the U.S. Army's first transcontinental motor convoy
from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco. During World War 11, Gen.
Eisenhower saw Germany's advantages as a result of the autobahn
network, also noting the enhanced mobility of the Allies when they
fought their way into Germany. These experiences shaped Eisenhower's
views on highways. "The old convoy," he said, "had started me thinking
about good, two-lane highways, but Germany had made me see the
wisdom of broader ribbons across the land." When President Dwight D.
Eisenhower took office in January 1953, the states had completed
10,327 kin of system improvements at a cost of $955 million. Only 24
percent of interstate roadway was adequate for present traffic. The 1956
act called for uniform interstate design standards to accommodate traffic
forecast in 20 years). Two lane segments, as well as at-grade
intersections, were permitted on lightly traveled segments. (However,
legislation passed in 1966 required all parts of the interstate highway
system to be at least four lanes with no at-grade intersections regardless
of traffic volume.) On June 26, 1956, the Senate approved the bill by a
vote of 89 to 1. That same day, the house approved the bill by a voice
vote. In August 1957, the numbering scheme for the interstate
highways was announced and the red, white, and blue interstate shield
was unveiled. Many of the states had submitted proposals for the shield,
but the final version was a combination of designs submitted by
Missouri and exas.
