18. The Interstate Highway System
America’s Interstate Highway System is credited to President Eisenhower, with urban legend suggesting he was inspired by Germany’s autobahns as well as his own experience driving across the country as a young man. Eisenhower did champion the construction of the interstates, but they were under development in the 1940s, and test sections were constructed in 1944, using defense funding to develop them. When full construction began in 1956, it was through the prodding of a Democratically controlled congress. Construction was expanded dramatically under Kennedy and Johnson, when most of the system was started. It wasn’t declared finished until the 1990s.
It wasn’t built to support the defense of the nation either, which has also become an urban legend and is also falsely attributed to Eisenhower. From the beginning, 90% of construction funds came from the federal government, collected through gasoline taxes and excise taxes charged for automotive-related products (tires, batteries, etc). User fees for commercial vehicles were also collected. Certain sections have been designated as defense critical, for the movement of troops and vehicles to seaports, airports, or collection points. From start to finish to ongoing maintenance the Interstate Highway System was a social services project to improve the common welfare through government intervention.
