Paving A Nation: The Story Of the Interstate Highway System

It is the largest public works project in human history and the physical backbone of the modern United States. The Interstate Highway System is a monumental achievement of engineering and vision that is so ubiquitous, it has become invisible in our daily lives. This book tells the complete story of this incredible creation, from its ambitious conception to its profound and often contradictory legacy.

Discover the epic story behind the pavement, beginning with a young Dwight D. Eisenhower's grueling cross-country journey in 1919 and his crucial observations of the German Autobahn in World War II. Follow the tense Cold War political battles that transformed his personal conviction into the landmark Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. This is the definitive account of the political will and engineering genius that set out to reshape a continent.

Witness how the "great paving" unleashed a powerful economic engine that rewired American life, fueling the rise of the modern trucking industry and enabling an unprecedented suburban boom. Explore the birth of the standardized roadside economy, from the first Holiday Inn to the ubiquitous fast-food franchises that redefined the American road trip. This system did not just change the map; it created a new way of life.

This book also uncovers the hidden costs of connection, detailing the destruction of vibrant city neighborhoods through eminent domain and the citizen-led "Freeway Revolts" that fought back against the bulldozers. It provides an unvarnished look at the system's unintended consequences, from environmental challenges to its current crisis of age and neglect. It is the full story of the road that connected, divided, and ultimately defined the American Century.