Evening star., 1961-01-10
. GROWTH PAINFUL
BIG ROAD GROWTH PAINFUL ,~~44
9,1O7 Miles Of interstate Highway Built

3u UlUo HLlQ pICCe0 bI1IOuSI1Oub
the land, the Big Road"-the
41.000-mile. $40 billion Ma
tional System Of Interstate and
Defense Highways, ID beginning
to take shape. On June 80,
1960-the fourth anniversary
Of the grand plan" - the
United States Bureau Of Public
Roads counted 9,107 miles Of
Interstate Highway open to
traffic.
Besides the sections open to
traffic, $3.50. miles are under
construction and engineering
or right-of.way acquisition is
IN progress on another 10,093
miles.
Taking a close look at the
entire big Road" project. the
American Automobile Associa-
ton says that Of the mileage
now in use about 3,700 miles
have been completed to stand
ards adequate for 1878 traffic.
A little over 5000 miles is ade-
quate for today's traffic butt
will need more work to meet
1885 requirements. The re-
manning $500 miles represents
previously-built toll roads,
bridges and tunnels which were
woven into the system.
Enacted in 1856
Legislation providing for the
super-roads system was en-
acted in 1856. The system was
to be the backbone of the whole
American road and street net
work.
While constituting only IL
per cent Of the Nations road
mileage 1t will. when COM
pleted, carry 20 per cent or
more of its total traffic.
It will directly serve IS per
cent Of the Nations urban pop
ulation and IS per cent Of its
rural population.
It will join a State capitals
and 80 per cent Of all cities over
$4,000 population.
Planned As Dream Reads"
Interstate highways, as built
and projected. can be classed
rs dream roads" in the best
sense Of the term. Throughout,
they will be of the limited
access type with q few excep-
tios where distances are great
and traffic volumes low: they
will be free Of commercial de-
velopment along the roadside
which made deathtraps Of
older, free-acceSS highways;
they will. in those States which
elect to qualify for the Federal
bonus. be relatively free Of bill
boards; they promise nonstop
travel at speed from coast-to-
coast and from border-to-
border-and more Importantly.
they will slice through and
around congested urban areas
and both provide the commuter
with o high-speed route and
drain away excess and con.
gestion-cauSing traffic from the
streets he normally uses.
For this system Of strictly
limited mileage, because Of its
high national Importance. 1t
was provided that 30 per cent
Of the cost should come from
Federal sources with the indi-
vidual States responsible for
only 10 per cent.
Without going into the COM
plexities Of the financing OF
the gigantic under-arrange-
ments there has been O cut
back in Federal aid under the
so-called contract control"
system. and present level Of
apportionments are not suffi-
cient to get the Interstate Sys-
tenn completed any where near
the target date Of 1872.
Widely Disapproved
Meanwhile. the whole project
has become the subject Of at
tacks from q variety Of Sources.
These range from extravaganza
through q long list of misdeeds,
including waste, mismanage-
ment. lack Of supervision and
even downright thievery.
Charges Of mismanagement,
graft and other wrongdoing
are being investigated by q spe-
cial House committee headed
by Representative John A.
Blatnik, Democrat Of Mime
sofa. So far committee hearings
have revolved around q haSsle
over vertical clearance for
bridges on the interstate sys.
tenn and allegedly shady prac-
tees in the construction Of an
interstate route in Oklahoma.
Committee Investigators report
edly have been active in New
England. the Southeast and the
Southwest.
Bureau Of Public Roads Off
cials admit that there have
been instances Of human error
and attempted profiteering."
In the year ahead. Congress
will have to make important
and far-reaching decisions re.