Interstate Highways Quiz

A young military man named Dwight D. Eisenhower witnessed the sluggish pace, and it stuck in his mind for many years.

The German highway system, called the autobahn, gave the Nazis a tremendous advantage in mobility during conflicts.

Although defense was important, civilian and economic purposes were what made the dream a reality.

The Federal Highway Act of 1944 granted permission but did not specify funding.

It took more than a decade before the government committed real money to the projects.

As America grew, so too did the size of the system.

As of 2015, the total expenditures were at more than half a trillion dollars.

The originally planned routes (sans a few that were altered or omitted) were completed in 1991.

China's area and population mean it needs an even bigger set of highways than the U.S.

Planes can and do land on these roads, but there's no standard specifying construction for this reason.

Interstates spurred American dependence on cars, in many places stalling mass transit like bus or rail.

In some areas, people revolted as the government pushed aside neighborhoods for the new highways.

However, in the 1970s, states had identical maximum speed limits that lasted for years.

As time went by, more and more states opted to tweak (or even overhaul) the speed limits within their borders.

In many cities, the construction became a public relations nightmare as locals fought to stop construction through their homes.

In some stretches, you can hit 85 miles per hour (137 kilometers per hour).

A gasoline tax helped the federal government fund the project.

Major east-west routes (such as Interstate 80) end with zero.

The state finished its major interstate projects in 1974.

States with budget problems sometimes neglect their interstates, which can lead to safety and traffic issues.

It's the Eisenhower Tunnel, which is 11,192 feet (3,411 meters) above sea level.

Given the scale of the project, a decade was probably a bit too ambitious, even for the power of postwar American industry.

Lower grades mean easier travel, particularly for larger and heavier vehicles.

I-80 runs through the heart of America, linking the East and West coasts to one another.

It took until 1992 to complete this segment, which is one of the most expensive bits of highway in the country.

That means most of the lower numbered roads are in the West and South.

In some areas with low traffic (or where other low-cost transportation is rare) bikes may be allowed on the shoulders.

Any closer than 1 mile and congestion would be even worse than what it is now.

It was the I-70 Mark Twain Expressway in St. Charles County.

The final segment was built near Salt Lake City, making it the first highway running from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific.