History of American Highways Essay

Highways are very important in every country, in every place. It is often termed as the sign of civilization or development of a place. That is undeniably true because a good highway or road system of a certain place means that the government, may it is local or national, have the resources to put up nice highways and national roads. It also signifies that a place is a place where many people are going. It means that there is something there that needs to have a nice highway. Most people want a very nice highway to drive to. They hate those bumpy roads because they find it annoying. That is why the government of every country makes the construction of highways as one of their priorities. Good highways are also beneficial for trade and industry because it attracts investors. There is development in the economy if the highways or roads are well furnished. People, especially investors always look at the means of access to a specific place. So it is a big factor if the highways are good and not. Through the years highways in almost every country serve as the cultivator of culture and development. There are numerous highways hat became historical because of its contribution to our society. But there are things that should be factored in whenever there is a highway or road that needs to be built. There are the environmental issues because it is a very big factor to consider the locale of the highway. More often than not, people forget the convenience highways could bring. An example is that, like what I have mentioned earlier there could be a boost in the economy because the easy access to a place attracts a lot of investors, not to mention that there will emerge some small businesses that would cater to the needs of the travelers who have traveled very far just to do to wherever their destination is. United States of America is one of the developed countries. It can be seen that the highways in this country is very well put up. In this country, you can find the almost never-ending highways that connect almost every city. The access from one place to another is a bit easy because of the highways. There are songs that were composed which are inspired by the highways. The motorists or travelers find so much fun in traveling that they do not mind the long travelers because in the first place they find comfort in it because they are not faced with bumpy roads. Indeed, through the years, every highway in the US has contributed a lot in the lives of every people and to the country itself. History of the Highway System in United States The US Highway System is considered as the first nationwide network of number system in the world. It is an essential part of the American history in the 20th Century because it inspired a lot of things from different perspective. Is inspired the composition of new songs, shows in the television, and the creation of motels and fast food restaurant. It is also considered as one of the components that US is really a country which innovate to make impossible things possible because it made the access to one State to another easy. It is also a factor in the development of the roads in California to be world class. Through the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1925, the US Highway System was born. It is the answer to the unorganized creation of almost 250 named highways. Through this Act, the road that were considered insignificant before were transformed into roads that would connect every city making a long stretch of highways or roads. But the numbering of highway system has raised a lot of issues because many people disagree on the idea because it will make the highways cold and impersonal. But the government did not stop, they assigned the American Association of State Highway Officials or AASHO which is now AASHTO to handle the system. Highways That Gave Impact to America Highway is a term often used to address major roads which are used for travel by every people going to wherever they would go. Its designs are different and it may have the characteristics of freeways and motorways. It could also be characterized with two-lane, shoulder less road. It is the US which has the biggest network of national highways that include Interstate Highways and the Numbered Highways. It is present in all State which also connects almost all cities. There are different terms that denote highways such as but not limited to autobahn, auto route, expressway, freeway, and motorway. But these terms are different depending on the country or region. The term highway could have a lot of meaning. In US highway could be characterized by an important high-speed with limited-access road that is a connector of major cities, or it could be any road. The Pan-American Highway is considered as the longest international highway, and the largest national highway system can be found in the US as well as the widest highway which is in Houston Texas, the Katy Freeway a part of Interstate 10. Other highways that gave a lot of impact to America are Route 66, National Road, Lincoln Highway, and Highway 41. The Lincoln Highway is considered as one of the roads or highways that contributed in the development of the Interstate Highways. It is the first transcontinental highway and also considered as the ancestor and model of other numbered highways. It is symbolized by ‘Good Roads’ which is the basis for the rallyists then to fight for the highway system. It is considered as the first successful highway that can be rallied on at any weather from coasts to coasts. It is the subject that fuelled the awareness of American people that the government should build highways and they should fund the development. In 1920, the Lincoln Highway just became another road because there are other transcontinental highways that were built. The funding from the government became easily granted as well. But the fact will never be forgotten – the Lincoln Highway was the venue for the celebrated caravan of the Army in 1919, it is were cross-country racers achieved their records that made them famous, there were songs and poems written pertaining to the road, at the end of the highway there you can find the banners of every hotels, restaurants, and the like. Other highway that impacted America is the US Route 66 which is also called Route 66, The Main Street of America, The Mother Road, Will Rogers Highway among others. It is part of the US Highway System which connects Chicago, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. It is the main path of every migrant who were going to the west especially during the height of Dust Bowl in 1930s. The highway attained much popularity that people have fought for its preservation. But in 1956 it has reached its end because of the then President Dwight Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway Act. One of the remaining parts of Route 66 is the Veterans Parkway.