Our Nation's Highways: 2008

Chapter 1. Introduction

“In large measure, America’s history is a history of her transportation.” So said President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966, during the signing ceremony for the legislation creating the U.S. Department of Transportation. Since the introduction of the interstate system to Congress in 1939, the Nation has devoted significant resources to the creation of a roadway system that connects every population center. With the interstate system acting as the system’s backbone, we have enjoyed freedom of travel and efficiency of commerce as never before.