Page:America's Highways 1776–1976.djvu/202



In Part I of the history of the Federal interest in the Nation’s highways, the period from the colonial days to enactment of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 has been developed in a broad chronological format of events. As a result, there is a mixing of diverse elements, such as financial support, construction practices, research and many others that contributed to the continuity of highway development as we know it today. The advent of the 1956 Federal-Aid Highway Act was a turning point in highway financing, program magnitude, and administration complexity. For this reason, Part I stops at the 1956 Federal-Aid Highway Act.

During the years since the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916, specialized knowledge and skills were required to cope with the expanding program. The program became more complex with each piece of highway legislation in response to the need for broader measures in transportation, the desires of the public it serves, and the interaction of the highway program with other programs to serve the needs of a growing Nation. Technology became so sophisticated that, to keep pace with the demands, the program developed special areas of concern. In recognition of this situation, Part II has been assembled according to each major specialization and its contribution to the overall program.

The chapters of Part II cover separately one particular aspect of the program, including a chapter devoted to the development of the Interstate System. The authors for these chapters are recognized authorities, and their decisions as to what has proven significant in their individual fields of expertise has been left largely unchanged. 196