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FHWA By Day

A Look at the History of the Federal Highway Administration
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November 7
1940 In Washington State, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapses in high wind, only 4 months after opening. The way the suspension bridge twisted and heaved prior to collapse earns it the posthumous nickname "Galloping Gertie." PRA joined with other experts in research that led to the improvement of future suspension bridges, including the Mackinac and Verrazano-Narrows Bridges.
Photo: The first Tacoma Narrows Bridge under construction.
The "first" Tacoma Narrows Bridge under construction.
1963 BPR participates in a meeting at Arizona Highway Patrol headquarters on making U.S. 66--nicknamed "Bloody 66"--safer between Chicago and Los Angeles. The meeting, which includes chiefs of traffic law enforcement agencies in the States through which U.S. 66 passes, is a prelude to stepped up enforcement under "Project 66."
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