Interstate's 50th Anniversary

Midwest Revs Engines to Celebrate Silver Anniversary

by Paula Widholm

The Midwest has had a significant role in the expansion of the national interstate system. For example, Illinois has the third most interstate miles. Indiana is hearkening to the past and future with racing cars and an ethanol E85 exhibit. Missouri is unveiling a sign commemorating its first construction project under the new federal highway act. And, Wisconsin is highlighting pioneering concrete recycling.

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This year marks the 50th anniversary of the federal law that brought the United States its Interstate Highway System.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower's signature on June 29, 1956, launched the largest public works project in American history.

To celebrate the anniversary, a coast-to-coast convoy began in San Francisco June 15 and crossed the Interstate 80 corridor to end in Washington, D.C., June 29.

The route is similar to the cross-country military convoy Eisenhower was on as a young soldier in 1919.

A few years after signing the interstate legislation, Eisenhower said: "More than any single action by the government since the end of the war, this one would change the face of America. Its impact on the American economy, the jobs it would produce in manufacturing and construction, the rural areas it would open up, was beyond calculation."

The mammoth engineering and construction effort to create and link a system of more than 41,000 mi. of highways was on a fast track. By 1961, 10,597 mi. of the system were open to traffic.

In 1966, that figure had surpassed the halfway mark and reached 21,452 mi. More than 75 percent (31,900 mi.) of the network was open in 1971. Ten years later, the job was nearly completed, with 40,498 mi. open to travel.

Today's U.S. interstate system covers about 46,775 mi. and represents a federal investment of $120 billion.

While the interstate system comprises less than 1 percent of all the country's roads, it carries more than 20 percent of all traffic and more than 40 percent of truck traffic.

The Midwest states are marking the anniversary in a number of ways.

Illinois

Illinois, with 2,169.53 mi. of interstate highways, ranks third in the nation in interstate miles. Only Texas (3,233.45 mi.) and California (2,455.74 mi.) rank ahead of the Land of Lincoln.

In Illinois, more than 29 percent of all travel is done on the interstates and more than 60 percent of all truck traffic is on the interstates.

When it comes to highway construction, a lot has changed in 50 years. For one, "surveying is completely different," said Joe Crow, spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Transportation. "They used to be out there with transit levels and tape measures, and now it's done electronically with global-positioning-system equipment and laser lines."

Transportation departments also understand more about materials and their interaction with each other to design roads that last longer. "We learned a lot over 50 years and we'll continue to do that," Crow said.

The coast-to-coast convoy entered Illinois on Interstate 80 from Iowa and traveled east at the American Association of State Highway Officials Test Road Site in Ottawa on June 24.

Tests at this site from 1958 to 1960 played a significant role in interstate development and produced surface formulas used for many years. The convoy traveled to Chicago where a celebration took place June 26.

A mobile, interactive exhibit, produced jointly by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and IDOT, was contained in an Airstream trailer and began touring Illinois in June. The exhibit shows the benefits of the interstate system and documents the experiences of Illinois residents over the last 50 years of interstate highway construction.

The IDOT-UIUC Roadside Conversations exhibit will join the convoy as it enters Illinois and will continue with the convoy to Washington, D.C. The exhibit will be open to the public at stops along the convoy path. Later this summer, the exhibit will visit other public venues in Illinois, such as museums and Interstate rest areas.

A separate traveling exhibit created by IDOT will display photographs capturing moments in Illinois highway transportation history. Display cases will show mementos of the past alongside technology of the future. Computer monitors placed in kiosks will show video clips and information on the interstate system.

This exhibit will tour Illinois this summer, also in an Airstream.

Indiana

Fifty years after the initial vision of the interstate system, the Indiana Department of Transportation is taking a similar bold look at how to build roads and maintain transportation through its Major Moves program, said Andy Dietrick, INDOT communications director.

Major Moves, Indiana's $2.8 billion, 10-year highway construction program, involves public-private partnerships to pay for new roads - and repair old ones - when gas tax revenue is not enough.

"Major Moves is the most bold initiative in transportation," Dietrick said. "Indiana is the only state in the nation with a fully funded plan that doesn't rely on federal funding."

The plan calls for allowing private companies to operate the Indiana Toll Road and design, build and operate the Interstate 69 extension from Evansville to Indianapolis. It also will complete more than 200 other projects.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary, the nationwide convoy stopped in South Bend where a commissioner spoke. Some cars from the Indiana Racing League were displayed, as well as ethanol E85 cars.

"Indiana is a leader in producing E85 and driving that technology," said Megan Kaderavek, spokesperson for INDOT.

Missouri

Missouri's 1,100-plus mi. of interstates 70, 44, 55, 64, 29 and 35 provide critical Middle-America links to the national system.

On Aug. 2, 1956, Missouri became the first state to award a contract with the new interstate construction funds, inking a deal for work on U.S. Route 66 - now Interstate 44 - in Laclede County.

Also that day, Missouri awarded a contract for work on U.S. 40 - now Interstate 70, the Mark Twain Expressway - in St. Charles County. Cameron & Joyce Inc. of Keokuk, Iowa, began construction on Aug. 13, 1956.

For the 50th anniversary, a ceremony and unveiling of a sign commemorating this first construction project under the federal highway act was held June 28, 2006, in St. Louis.

Also, as part of 50th anniversary plans, a public policy forum was held June 22 at the University of Missouri at Columbia. Three panels discussed the past, present and future of the state's highway system.

Even though the interstate system accounts for less than 4 percent of Missouri's total roadway, it carries 38 percent of the state's total traffic volume.

Wisconsin

Highway construction projects now involve the community and minorities much more than in the past, said Ruben Anthony, deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

For example, the $810 million reconstruction of the Marquette Interchange in Milwaukee involves 55 minority or disadvantaged business enterprises.

"When it was built, there were zero," Anthony said. "There are real economic benefits to getting the community involved.

"In the past, the big concern was how the highway construction would dislocate and destroy neighborhoods. Now, communities embrace moving projects forward. The big difference is the approach - being inclusive, soliciting public input and minimizing environmental impacts associated with transportation projects."

To commemorate the 50th anniversary, WisDOT held media events in June and will be distributing a poster highlighting main interstates.

About 75 percent of Wisconsin's interstate system was built between 1959 and 1969.

Wisconsin has 743 mi. of interstate that cost about $1.5 billion to build. While accounting for less than 1 percent of the state's 113,700 mi. of total roadway, Wisconsin's interstates carry almost 18 percent of the state's vehicle miles each year.

Wisconsin initiated the concept of numbering highways and was the first state to replace trail signs with numbers.

Innovative concrete and bituminous surface recycling were pioneered on Interstate 94 west of Eau Claire.

Current Midwest Highway Projects

As the Interstate system recognizes its 50th anniversary, a number of major projects are under way in the Midwest.

Illinois:

• Dan Ryan (Interstate 90/94) Reconstruction, $600 million.

  Estimated completion: late fall 2007.

  Scope: Reconstructing express and local lanes from 13th to 71st streets, adding a lane in each direction from 31st to 95th streets, improving local access roads and constructing new storm sewers.

• Upgrade Interstate 74, $460 million.

  Estimated completion: November.

Reconstruction of Interstate 74 through Peoria and East Peoria; the largest IDOT project ever outside of the Chicago area.

• Kingery Expressway (Interstate 80/94) Reconstruction, $430 million.

  Estimated completion: Bishop Ford and IL394 sections (including ramps in the Interstate 80/94/294/IL394 interchange) open late fall, Kingery and Borman (I-80/94) open by midsummer 2007.

  Scope: Complete reconstruction of the Kingery Expressway and portions of the Borman Expressway in Indiana, the Bishop Ford Expressway (I-94) and IL Route 394, including new bridges, sewers, roadway base and pavements, shoulders, bridges, lighting and surveillance systems; adding a lane in each direction of the Kingery to provide four full through-lanes in each direction.

Indiana:

• U.S. 231 in Spencer and Dubois County, $46.7 million.

  Estimated completion: fall 2007.

  Scope: New interchange at U.S. 231 and SR 62, new pavement from SR 62 to CR 2050N, new bridges and ramps at interchange.

• I-465 Fast Track, $34.6 million.

  Estimated completion: fall 2007.

  Scope: Widening I-465 in the northwest quadrant of Indianapolis, upgrading bridges and interchanges at 71st, 79th and 86th streets.

Missouri:

• Missouri River Bridge replacement, $32.8 million.

  Estimated completion: December 2007.

  Scope: Grading, paving and replacing the Missouri River Bridge, Route 19, from Route 100 to near the Loutre River in Hermann.

• Route 367 improvements, $31 million.

  Estimated completion: July 2007.

  Scope: Grading, drainage and construction of three steel-girder bridges and retaining walls from Route 367 from south of intersection of Parker Road to north of Route 270 interchange in St. Louis County.

Wisconsin

• Marquette Interchange, $810 million

Estimated completion: end of 2008.

Scope: Rebuilding the entire multilevel interchange of I-94, I-794 and I-43 in Milwaukee.

• I-39/US 51 Corridor, $249 million.

Estimated completion: 2010.

Scope: Reconstructing 7 mi. of US 51/WIS 29 in Wausau; expanding freeway from a four-lane divided highway to a six-lane divided highway between the WIS 29 east and WIS 29 west interchanges; replacing existing interchanges.



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