Tourism Sites and Numbers Guide – FREE download! – More Information
Interstate myths
In a recent post, we learned that the Interstate Highway System was the greatest public works project in history—and the greatest travel boon of all time. This week we want to take a look at some of the odd misinformation that has grown up around the system since its beginning in the 1950s.
Who knows how this stuff gets elevated to the level of fact. It must begin in speculation (or outright fabrication). Then come countless retellings. Pretty soon new listeners pass it on as if it were fact from the beginning. There’s no harm done, but it is fascinating to see how people react. It’s sort of like the game you used to play in school with a story that gets mangled and mixed up as it is retold down the line. Here are a few popular Interstate myths.
1. The Interstate System was the brain child of President “Ike” Eisenhower.
No, the system was first described in a Bureau of Public Roads (BPR) report to Congress as early as 1939. It wasn’t Ike’s idea, but his support for it led to the funding bill which made it a reality in 1956.
2. Defense considerations and a means of evacuating cities in the event of an attack on the United States were the primary reasons for building the system. President Eisenhower’s support was based mostly on civilian needs (economic development, improved safety, reduced congestion). Although the military benefits were recognized and understood, they were not primary factors.
3. One in every five miles of the system is straight so airplanes can land in an emergency. This is one of the biggest myths out there, but it’s just not true. While planes do occasionally land on the highways in emergencies, no such provision was planned into the system.
4. Interstates are intended to serve only traffic going from state to state. This was never the intention. The System serves interstate, regional and intrastate traffic, which was always the plan.
5. Beltways are designed to divert traffic around cities. Such routes do help traffic avoid cities. But another purpose is to help metro traffic moving from one main highway to another.
6. The only manmade structure astronauts can see from space is the Interstate Highway System. From space (an altitude of about 155 miles), an unaided eye can spot many manmade structures if the observer knows where to look. The Interstate Highway System is not visible as a network, but with binoculars it is possible to identify, roads, cities, airports and other objects.
7. Curves are planned into interstate highways to keep drivers from falling asleep.
Generally engineers want to take advantage of the terrain along the route, avoid obstacles or cultural development in the path of the road and accommodate environmentally sensitive areas. Curves do tend to reduce the boredom of driving and may therefore keep drivers more alert.
8. We once had a Federal 55 mph speed limit for Interstate Highways. No, we didn’t. States set the speed limits on Interstates. The Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act of 1974 prohibited the Federal Highway Administration from approving highway projects in any State with a speed limit in excess of 55 mph. Therefore all states complied rather than lose funding. Later legislation removed this restriction.