Dwight D. Eisenhower Promotes the Interstate Highway System, 1955

Introduction

In a special message to Congress on February 22, 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower emphasized the critical role of the nation's highway system in maintaining unity, facilitating communication, and ensuring economic prosperity. He outlined the inadequacies of the existing road network and proposed a comprehensive plan to modernize and expand it.

Importance of Transportation

Eisenhower highlighted that:

The unity of the nation relies on free communication and easy transportation.
The flow of information and movement of people and goods are vital.
These systems are dynamic elements of what unites the United States.

Without these systems, the nation would be a mere alliance of separate parts.

Condition of the Highway System

Eisenhower described the U.S. highway system as a gigantic enterprise, representing a significant capital investment:

It includes 3,366,000 miles of road.
Serves 58 million motor vehicles.
Supports the livelihood of one in every seven Americans.

However, he noted that the existing network was inadequate for the nation's growing needs.

Problem Assessment

Eisenhower identified several critical problems with the current highway system:

Safety: Over 36,000 people were killed and over a million injured annually on unsafe roads, costing the nation over $4.3 billion$ per year.
Vehicle Operation Costs: The poor condition of roads increased vehicle operating costs by as much as one cent per mile, totaling over $5 billion$ annually. These costs were passed on to consumers.
National Defense: The road network was inadequate for quick evacuation of cities and mobilization of defense forces in the event of an atomic attack, leading to potential deadly congestion.
Economic Growth: With a Gross National Product of approximately $357 billion$ in 1954, projected to exceed $500 billion$ in 1965, and a population expected to surpass 180 million, the existing traffic jams would only worsen without significant improvements.

Government Responsibility

Eisenhower stated that improving the highway system is the responsibility of the government at every level:

The highway system is a public enterprise.
Government must manage it to promote the economy and serve users.
Federal expenditures on highways are a return of taxes paid by highway users.

Federal-Aid Systems

Congress authorized two Federal-aid systems:

Federal-Aid Primary System: As of July 1, 1954, this consisted of 234,407 miles, connecting principal cities, county seats, ports, manufacturing areas, and traffic centers.
Federal-Aid Secondary System: Approved in 1944, this totaled 482,972 miles and included farm-to-market roads linking farms, factories, distribution outlets, and smaller communities with the primary system.

National System of Interstate Highways

In 1944, Congress authorized a special network not exceeding 40,000 miles to connect principal metropolitan areas, cities, and industrial centers, serve national defense, and connect with routes in Canada and Mexico:

This system comprises only 1.2% of total road mileage.
It joins 42 state capital cities and 90% of all cities with over 50,000 population.
It carries more than one-seventh of all traffic, a fifth of rural traffic, and serves 65% of the urban and 45% of the rural population.
Approximately 37,600 miles had been designated to date.

Priority for the Interstate System

Eisenhower emphasized that the Interstate System must be given top priority:

At the current rate, it would take half a century to achieve a reasonable level of extent and efficiency.
State highway departments cannot effectively meet the need due to challenges such as acquiring right-of-way, constructing grade separation structures, and realigning highways.

Proposed Improvements

To improve the system, Eisenhower suggested:

Studying all phases of highway financing.
Considering the costs of completing various highway systems.