© 2024 All Rights reserved WUSF
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

American Highways and Roadside Attractions

Fifty years ago, President Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, establishing the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways. The interstate highway system stretches almost 50,000 miles, and has absorbed vast quantities of concrete and steel and nearly $129 billion dollars thus far.

It is one of the truly monumental public-works projects ever built. Guests discuss the impact that the interstate system has had on the American economy, landscape, lifestyle and culture.

Guests:

Tom Lewis, English professor at Skidmore College; author of Divided Highways: Building the Interstate Highways--Transforming American Life

Edgar Praus, photographer and founder of The American Highway Project

Jamie Jensen, wrote Road Trip USA: Cross-Country Adventures on America's Two Lane Highways

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Tags
You Count on Us, We Count on You: Donate to WUSF to support free, accessible journalism for yourself and the community.