Interstate History Outline
U.S. History: 1919: Eisenhower trip from Washington to San Francisco – 58 days Orders of General Pershing. 1921 Act turned his demobilized trucks to State Highway Depts. Eisenhower was only an observer. “Joint Board on Interstate Highways” created by Sec. of Agriculture in 1925, at request of AASHO. Eventually became U.S. numbered Primary System. Constituted 1% of all public roads. Interstate today is roughly 1% of all public roads. Key concept was connectivity; still true today. To be competitive, you need to be connected to the System, and through it, to other cities, regions, and ultimately the world. FDR’s vision: 3 east-west and 3 north-south TOLLED transcontinental superhighways: jobs for unemployed. Actually drew first map. Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1938 directed Bureau of Public Roads to study the Roosevelt idea. 1939 Report: not enough toll revenues, for most segments; so, developed a “Master Plan for Free Highway Development” of interregional routes. Would follow existing route where possible; multi-laned only when traffic warranted; limited access on busy segments; elevated or depressed urban links and limited access beltlines. 1939 map generated. In 1941, Roosevelt appointed a National Interregional Highway Committee. FDR’s Jan. 12, 1944 message to Congress again charterized the proposed system as 1% of all highways. Would replace the Primary System. 1944 Committee Report to Congress: 33,920 mile system, to be built over 20 years, plus 5000 miles of urban circumferential routes. Recommended limited access throughout, including routes leading “directly into larger cities”. 1944 Highway Act authorized formal designation of 38,900 mile “National System of Interstate Highways” including 5,000 miles of urban routes, “so located as to connect by routes as direct as possible, the principal metropolitan areas, cities, and industrial centers, to serve the national defense, and to connect at suitable border points with routes of continental importance in the Dominion of Canada and the Republic of Mexico.” Emphasis: Connections. No catergorical, special funding provided. No federal financial commitment. War continuing. Authorized the Public Roads Administration to ask states to submit route recommendations and to work with AASHO on design recommendations.
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1947 map: announced designation of first 37,700 miles This map is virtually the same as the rural portion of the official 1956 map. Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1952 authorized $25 million for the Interstate System on a 50-50 match basis. First designated funding. Federal-aid Highway Act of 1954 increased annual funding to $175 million, and the match to 60-40. First major formula fight. Eisenhower’s Critical Impact: Autobahn was his model. High priority on defense. Nixon speech to NGA in 1954, written for President. Announced 10-year $50 billion goal for Interstate, citing five penalties of the nation’s obsolete highway network: the annual death and injury toll. the waste of billions of dollars in detours and traffic jams. the clogging of the nation’s courts with highway-related lawsuits. the inefficiency in the transport of goods. the “appalling inadequacies to meet the demands of catastrophe and defense, should an atomic war come.” Electrifying impact. Key issue was to find a funding mechanism. Ike appointed General Lucius Clay to chair a 5 member commission and report. (One member was Bill Roberts of Allis-Chalmers) Frank Turner served as staff. Estimated Interstate cost at $27 billion. Proposed Federal Highway Corporation to issue bonds, with revenues from gas taxes dedicated for 30 years to pay the bill. Kicked off huge congressional debate. Senator Byrd stopped the tolling – abhorrence to public debt. Clay Committee Report rejected in both houses. Key positive factor in Interstate approval was BPR’s identification of specific 2200 miles of urban links and beltlines. 100 urban maps prepared and distributed to Congress. Drew enthusiastic support of U.S. Conference of Mayors, seeing an opportunity to fund slum clearance. 1956 Interstate Highway Act: Provided for a 41,000 mile system, to be built over 13 years. Federal share at 90%; dedicated funding. After 3 years, funds would be distributed on a cost to complete basis with a goal to complete all segments simultaneously. Pay-as-you go financing. Increase federal gas tax, created in 1933 as general revenue, from 2 to 3 cents per gallon (increase to 4 cents in 1959). Imposed other user taxes for HTF.
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Created segregated Highway Trust Fund, with Byrd amendment to prevent deficits. Ways and Means Committee Hale Boggs: “For the first time, the American motorist will pay these taxes with the assurance that he will be the direct beneficiary of every penny.” AMEN! Authorized $25 billion, from FY 57 through FY 69. Mandated uniform design standards, to be developed jointly by AASHO and BPR. Passed House by voice vote; Senate by 89-1.
Eisenhower wrote in 1963: “More than any other single action by the government since the end of the war, this one would change the face of America…its impact on the American economy – the jobs it would produce in manufacturing and construction, the rural areas it would open up – was beyond calculation.” 1957 - AASHO numbering system and proposed Interstate shield approved by BPR. 1957- BPR Interstate chief Bertram Tallamy (who built N.Y. Thruway), ordered states to avoid sleep-inducing straight, flat designs, in favor a differing elevations, widths, and curvature. WI applied these design standards to Beloit-LaCrosse and Madison-Eau Claire. 1966 - Congress mandated that all Interstate routes be at least 4 lanes with fully controlled access. 1968 - Congress authorized an additional 1500 miles, to 42,500. Created Section 139, allowing further additions at local cost. Total Cost: $130 million for initial construction.
Impacts on Economy and Society: Created the American Marketplace as we know it. UPS and Fed-Ex operate almost 160,000 trucks daily. Redefined our Way of Life into the most mobile society in history: “See the USA in your Chevrolet”. People and business could locate virtually anywhere as long as there was a good connection to the Interstate. Still the primary reason for business location: the power of the shield – why WI’s freeway conversions (I-43, I-39, and eventually US 41) are such powerful job producers. The whole idea behind Corridors 2020 was to complete the connections from communities to the Interstate to world markets. (Rationale for WTBA logo: Connecting Wisconsin to the World)
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Greatest impact on transportation productivity since building the railroads in the 19th century.
The Interstate Today: 46,726 Miles. 1% of Public Road Mileage. From 1956 to today: Population: Travel: Registered cars: Registered trucks:
UP 74% UP 351% UP 151% UP 789%
But Interstate center lane miles are up only 14%.
Where Do We Go from Here? Building the Interstate was THE federal vision for about 35 years, until ISTEA. Today: the highway program is a myriad of local programs with no unique federal purpose, except revenue sharing. Helps explain proliferation of earmarks: “My local project”. No major federal goal inhibiting earmarks. Refocus Federal Program: Consensus is emerging that the 2009 bill must legislate a compelling federal goal, or turnback is inevitable. Likely new vision is an upgraded, modernized, expanded, and continually revitalized Interstate System. Funding provided or enabled through tolls, to “guarantee” critical performance goals in pavements, bridges, capacity and safety. Potential for system expansion. Wisconsin must be prepared. Are we? In 1978 Act, Congress created Interstate 4R program to rebuild and add capacity to original Interstate. ISTEA, changed that to a dedicated Interstate Maintenance Program, which is only 13% of the federal program today. There is no DEDICATED funding for Interstate capacity. It must compete within NHS funds. As a result, little Interstate capacity is being provided. AASHTO has commissioned an NCHRP study to measure rehabilitation needs, capacity problems and solutions, new corridors, and to define the future federal role on that system. Will have a major impact on 2009 Reauthorization.
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WI History: System Development: 1939 map showed 1 route in Wisconsin: Chicago to Milwaukee to Madison to Hudson. 1943 map also showed a route from Chicago to Madison to Prairie du Chien along USH 18, and across northern Iowa to Sioux Falls 1945: the Wisconsin State Highway submitted tentative Interstate route designations: Madison to Milwaukee to Eau Claire to Hudson USH 18 from Madison to Prairie du Chien USH 51 from Madison to Hurley USH 53 from Eau Claire to Superior Milwaukee to Green Bay Green Bay to Eau Claire BPR Map in 1947: Madison to Prairie du Chien replaced by Tomah to La Crosse. Chicago to Madison added. Others rejected. Wisconsin Turnpike authority created in 1953; reported in 1955 that tolls could not fund most routes outside SE WI and “we ought to cooperate with the Federal Plans for an Interstate System.” In response, Legislature raised gas tax from 4 to 6 cpg, half for state roads and half for local aids. Beloit-Madison traffic was projected by Turnpike Commission for 1980 at 4,000; it was 16,000; today, it’s 50,000. In 1947, BPR instructed Wisconsin to use Genoa City, LaCrosse, and Hudson as control points, with state to determine exact routes between them. WI State Highway Engineer Emmons Roettinger sent a letter in 1957 to BPR, to move the control point for Genoa City to Beloit, after Illinois prioritized NW tollway link to Rockford over U.S. 12 upgrading, and Wisconsin and Illinois negotiated the shift. Roettinger opposed asking for more routes – fear WI could not pay for maintenance. Making up for it ever since. Opposed by Janesville/Beloit, fearing I would stop their expansion plans to east. State had developed freeway plans from Genoa City to Utica, in southern Dane County, with large US 51 Interchange. The portion to Lake Geneva was built; the remaining plans were discarded in the 1980’s. In response to BPR requests for urban routes, State Highway Engineer asked for a loop around business district in Milwaukee, plus extensions into Madison, LaCrosse and Eau Claire, which were all denied.
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In 1963, WI asked for a route from Milwaukee to Superior to be built in stages: Milwaukee to Green Bay; Green Bay to Wausau; and Wausau to Superior. Most Interstate design work done by consultants, with construction engineering provided by the Department. Prior to 1956, plans drawn up for Madison to Milwaukee (Highway 30) and Eau Claire to Hudson on old U.S. 12, that were actually used. Green Engineering designed 12/18 Interchange, then bought the land from a farmer, and resold it to the contractors for fill. Debarred. Interstate north of Tomah followed 27 route not 12 as originally conceived, to avoid taking out communities. Straightest line. Jackson County bluff, now a rest area, bought as scenic overlook, to prevent development. First Interstate scenic overlook. Strand and Haist literally climbed all over Baraboo Hills, looking for best place to push Interstate through. Picked narrowest spot across Mirror Lake. Shot an arrow with rope attached to define distance. Business interests forced I-94 to be located on top of US 41 in Racine and Kenosha Counties, despite state preference for new parallel location. Built frontage roads with braided interchanges, that will finally be eliminated after 50 years. Virtually, no public involvement in location. Deference to defense goal AND no idea of the economic benefits that would come with the right location. SEWRPC created in 1960, under Gov. Nelson, precisely to draw local officials into transportation planning. Preceded 1962 federal mandate for planning. Oakdale Interchange: always had a RR stop with restaurants, but no original Interstate Interchange. Huge local effort to get Interchange, with slogan: “You can’t come here from there”. Interstate construction began on I-94 between Goerke’s Corners and SS. First completed segment in Johnson Creek in 1958. Original rural system completed in 1969, using bonds to provide the match and accelerate completion on segments from La Crosse to Tomah and Eau Claire to Tomah. First state to do so. Note: Legislature increased fuel tax from 6 to 7 cpg, to pay for the bonds: a novel idea! Never anticipated growth of travel or explosion of trucks (and ESAL’s)
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In 1966, Interstate cost estimate for Wisconsin was $509 million; actually cost $900 million. Milwaukee Freeways: City of Milwaukee began urban freeway studies in late 1940’s. Milwaukee County Expressway Commission created by state statute in 1953. Hired consultants to locate and design routes. Turned them over to state to let and provide construction engineering. Parsons did most of initial work. First freeway system plan completed in 1955. Expressway Commission abolished in 1979. Built 68 miles of freeway in Milwaukee County, at a cost of $416 million, of which $112 million were county funds (27%). Most routes that were built are Interstate today. I-94 route through city as well as I-894 bypass included on 1956 map. City of Milwaukee was major freeway proponent, under Mayor Frank Zeidler. After Expressway Commission took over, due to gripes over progress by the city, State Highway Commission appointed Vere Fiedler to expedite district supervised work. Original E-W corridor was along Highland Avenue (see 1949 map); moved to Clybourne St. when transit system abandoned an interurban route there. First segment built was E-W from 13th Street to 68th Street. Opened in 1962. Don Cronkrite in charge of design. Curves put in to avoid large gas tanks (torn down 2 years later) and a school near 84th st., also later torn down. Opened January 27, 1962 State built U.S. 141 as state project (Not Commission’s) from Lexington to Brown Deer, as a 4-lane expressway with cross traffic. Opened in 1957. Later converted to Freeway, starting in 1962. Extended into Ozaukee Co., before I designation. Became part of I43. Milwaukee County wanted the I to be in N-S Corridor, north of Stadium Interchange, not on 141. I-894 built with grassy median, and lightposts on side. Huge cause of accidents. Concrete barrier median added, in 2 pieces, with lightposts relocated in center and conduit on the ground, to avoid the expense of burial. “Pickle Interchange” of I-894 with proposed Stadium South. Interchange still there with a park and ride at stub end. Aerial shot looks like a pickle with interchange, and a pickle factory stood where park and ride lot is now.
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Key decision was location of “Central Interchange” Originally located at 16th St. (see 1949 map. Considered 6th, 8th, 10th, and 13th. Located between 8th and 9th. City supported slum clearance there. Houses from pre-civil was days, dilapidated. White population. Aldrich Chemical was part of General Electric at time. Included bridge over Menominee Valley. Major interchange located at Becker St. Was to be the entrance to the Port. Never happened. Interchange squeezed in, causing today’s problems. Cost: $33 million!!! Dedicated on June 27, 1968, as a present to the people of Milwaukee. Great fanfare. Ribbon cut by Gov. Knowles. See picture. South of the Central Interchange, Commission in charge down to Layton; state south of Layton. I-94 from the Central Interchange to the Racine County Line opened in segments in 1966 and 1967. I-94 in Kenosha/Racine Counties opened in November, 1960. First segment to be reconstructed, and with additional lanes, in 1983. Stadium Interchange located to take old Washington park Zoo, and provide funds for new Zoo. Zoo Interchange was built on farmland. Really! I-794 added in 1960’s. Don Rheinbold wanted I-794 to be at grade to the lake.. City overroad Mayor Zeidler’s veto of elevated highway to Lake. City left space for Harbor Bridge approaches when it built Jones Island. See picture. Mayor Hoan wanted bascule bridget, hot high rise bridge. Opened November 5, 1977. Took 7 years to build. 1970 saw largest letting in state history: $16 million, including the largest single contract for $8.8 million to build part of the Hoan Bridge. Biggest tragedy was property buy-outs. No relocation assistance. Fair market value was often less than the mortgage, bankrupting owners. Poison of that experience is deep in Milwaukee consciousness: “Not one lot”. See picture of Wes Burmeister as auctioneer. Wisconsin’s Unfair Share: 1956 distribution was 365 miles, only 0.89% of the original 41,000 mile system.
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Since then, we have added: I-43, from Milwaukee to Green Bay I-794 from the Marquette to the Lake and over the Hoan Bridge Milwaukee Transitway (Added in 1960’s; removed in 1981; restored in 1988; turned-in in 1991 for $289 million, and used for 6th Street Bridge, the Marquette Reconstruction, with $91 million still left for the “Milwaukee Connector”. I-43 from Beloit to Milwaukee I-39 from Portage to Wausau US 45/41 from the Zoo to I-43 in Brown County. Will be signed when Interstate standards are met; have 25 years to do so. Need to accelerate conversion. Milwaukee-Green Bay Segment added in late 60’s. Former DD Jim Meier assigned to locate the route. He recommended a midpoint between Lake Winnebago and Lake Michigan (I-57). Lake Communities complained to Governor Lucey, who moved corridor to present location. I-43 and I-39 were requests for Section 139b Interstate mileage, for incorporation into the system. Only cost was a rebuilt interchange in Portage at STH 78, to meet “free-flow” Interstate standard. US 45/41 was a provision inserted into SAFETEA-LU by Congressman Petri, the end of a 20-year effort by Tom Walker. Current Wisconsin mileage (with Highway 45/41) is 873.96 miles, or 1.67% of the total. That compares to our 1.89% share of payments to HTF, for a return of 88 cents per dollar in this program; quite an achievement. That was the strategic plan laid out in 1987. By comparison, Illinois has the third highest number of Interstate routes (23) and the third highest number of Interstate miles (2,169), about 3 times the size of Wisconsin’s system. In future, as system expands nationally, we will have to be aggressive in seeking new routes. See WTBA maps.
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