65th Anniversary of the US Interstate Highway System

by | Aug 23, 2021 | Coffee Break, Insights, Technology

The Simple Genious of the Interstate Highway System (Video).  Started by Dwight D. Eisenhower after WWII, it was an economic necessity and is considered to be one of the most influential infrastructures in the country (in US history). The project was achieved at a cost of $8.5M/mile (2016 dollars) to construct, which increased to $34M/mile in the 1980s (2016 dollars). Starting in 1956, it took nearly 40 years to complete the entire system.  This reduced the 62-day journey from coast to coast to 42 hours.

The logistics of a nationwide transportation system is an engineering and economic marvel.  On the other hand, there were some significant non-monetary and hidden costs.  Check out this video for more details. (20-minute video, but worth the time – grab a coffee and enjoy).