THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM AT 40: UNIFYING AMERICA

For 40 years the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways--commonly known as the interstate highway system (IHS)--has served the United States well. The 70,796-km (44,000-mi) system has had a significant impact on the way American companies do business, the overall health of the American economy, and the American way of life. The IHS, in many areas though, is reaching the end of its service life, and three major programs have been established to keep the IHS intact: 1) National Highway System, 2) Surface Transportation Program, and 3) Bridge Program. The legislation that provided $155 billion for these programs and for research and demonstration projects is the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA). The ISTEA promotes highway safety by providing incentives for states that enact safety laws. Research on intelligent transportation systems (ITS) is also a part of the ISTEA funding. ITS range from traffic control systems to automated highway systems from incident management to electronic toll collection. The interstate highway system binds America together; the innovative technologies that are being tested and developed now will enhance the IHS of the 21st century.