The Interstates...

[artguys]

an overview. Some will know that Eisenhower was in large part responsible for the building of our current interstate system. The overall goal was to span the east to the west with roadways that would expedite travel while at the same time link our great cities. Had they been able to fast forward 60-70 yrs they would have realized one very large mistake had been made...the linking of the cities. Travel on the interstates in and around our cities over the years has become nothing less than a bottleneck as well as being dangerous.

Most cities have built bypasses that relieve these conditions and many if not most have turned these bypasses in to commercial zones that lead to even more pressures. As an example...the I459 bypass around Birmingham was one of the better ones when first built. But over the years is also becoming commercialized.

What they designers should have done was to build the interstate system near enough to the cities to be considered linked and yet far enough to not be impacted by commercial traffic.

[PapPappy]

No matter what they do, the commercial aspect will always be there. Someone will own the property adjacent to the roads....and they will sell to the highest bidder, who typically won't be you or me.
All of a sudden there is a Mall there!!

Also keep in mind, the cities grew out to the highways....at least to the ones that had the roads a distance from the city. I'm sure that there was probably some open space between the by-pass and the city at one point, but the areas grew.

Biggest issue in my book, is that they didn't really take into account the damage done to the roads by the amount of traffic....and allocate the proper funding to maintain them properly.

[fla-gypsy]

I avoid Interstate highways like the plague

[robsouth]

gbopp wrote:
That's exactly what my dad told me many years ago.

And, we should have kept our railroad system..:(

The railroad system would be doing fine if not for the interstate system. Put the truck lines in business and put the railroads out of business.

[JCR-1]

The only mistake is that they should have made them bigger to accomodate growth. Further away only would make them have more crowded connector roads. Bigger is better..

[RoyB]

Atlanta by-pass always got my attention big time. No mater when I head thru that area there is on-going work on the by-pass. The lanes just all of a sudden end and you have to keep moving to the right haha...

I always thought a couple of large Interstates would eventually be trucks only. i.e. I40 would be a perfect truck only east-west route. Then pick four or five North-South routes trucks only. At least add "trucks only" lanes maybe...

I81 is one of my biggest feared roads concerning truck traffic.

Of course I95 is always really loaded down 24/7.

Roy Ken

[gbopp]

That's exactly what my dad told me many years ago.

And, we should have kept our railroad system..:(