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The system serves practically all major U.S. cities, and unlike its counterparts in most industrialized countries, often goes right into downtown areas rather than bypassing them.
It is prominent in the daily lives of most Americans. Virtually all goods and services are delivered via the interstate highways at some point. Most residents of American cities use the urban segments of the system to go to and from their jobs. Most long-distance land journeys of less than 300 miles (for vacation or business) use the interstate highway system at some point.
The interstate system was authorized by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, popularly known as the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act of 1956. It was championed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and was influenced by both his experiences as a young soldier crossing the country in 1919 and by his appreciation of the German autobahn network.
Although federal commitment to build the Interstate highway system did not come until the 1950s, planning for a system of new "superhighways" began in the late 1930s. The United States already had a number of limited-access highways, such as the Pennsylvania Turnpike and the New YorkNew York is a state in the northeastern United States whose U. postal abbreviation is NY . It is sometimes called New York State when there is need to distinguish it from New York City. History See: History of New York New York was one of the thirteen col parkwayFor other uses, see Parkway (disambiguation). A parkway is a general designation of a type of limited-access highway in the US. Like all limited-access highways, parkways are designed particularly for through traffic, and many can be classified generally system dating back to the 1920sCenturies: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s Years: 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 Events and trends Technology John Logie Baird invents the first working t (construction on the world's first limited-access highway, the Bronx River ParkwayThe Bronx River Parkway was one of the earliest limited access automobile highways. Construction began in Westchester County, New York in 1907, making it the first such highway to be constructed. However while construction on the Long Island Parkway began, was begun in New York State in 1907Events January events January 6 Maria Montessori opens her first school and daycare center for working class children in Rome Casa dei Bambini in San Lorenzo). January 14 An earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica kills more than a 1,000 January 23 Charles Curtis), but these were either local or state highways, and there was no interconnected national system. A need was seen for such a system to supplement the existing largely at-grade United States highway system.
Although construction on the Interstate Highway system continues, it was regarded as complete in 19911991 like 2002, is a palindromic year. It also has the same calendar as 2002, including Easter on March 31. It is a common year starting on Tuesday. Events January January 2 Sharon Pratt Dixon is sworn in as mayor of Washington, DC becoming the first blac. The initial cost estimate for the system was $25 billion over twelve years; it ended up costing $114 billion, taking 35 years to complete. As of 2004, the system contains over 42,700 miles of roads