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FHWA By Day

A Look at the History of the Federal Highway Administration
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September 5
1940 The Federal-Aid Highway Act, which President Franklin Roosevelt signs today, authorizes PRA to give priority to roads important to national defense. The Act also authorizes the Federal Works Administrator (head of PRA's parent Agency) to initiate defense projects urgently requested by the Secretary of War or Secretary of the Navy.
1965 FHWA crews surveying the North Cross-State Highway (now the North Cascades Highway) in Washington State use tent camps for the last time on this trip--and the last time tent camps were used by the Western Federal Lands Division.
1968 FHWA calls on each State highway agency to endorse a nine-point pledge of compliance with equal employment opportunity provisions in the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1968 (signed August 5). No federally assisted highway project may be approved for a State until it has executed the pledge. Administrator Lowell Bridwell has sent a copy of the nine-point statement to the head of each State highway agency for signature.
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