The Impact Of Building The Eisenhower Interstate System

Charlottesville

March 20, 2022

Driving to Tennessee last week on interstate, I wondered what sort of opposition existed in the 1950s to constructing interstate system. I did not find an article that addressed that question directly though I found this article which addressed the pros and cons of the roads. I wonder which of these were intended consequences versus those that were unintended.

The article;

Following the passage of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, the railroad system for passengers and freight declined sharply, but the trucking industry expanded dramatically and the cost of shipping and travel fell sharply. Suburbanization became possible, with the rapid growth of larger, sprawling, and more car dependent housing than was available in central cities. Tourism dramatically expanded as well, creating a demand for more service stations, motels, restaurants and visitor attractions. There was much more long-distance movement to the Sun Belt for winter vacations, or for permanent relocation, with convenient access to visits to relatives back home. In rural areas, towns and small cities off the grid lost out as shoppers followed the interstate and new factories were located near them.

The system had a particularly strong effect in Southern states, where major highways were inadequate. The new system facilitated the relocation of heavy manufacturing to the South and spurred the development of Southern-based corporations like Walmart (in Arkansas) and FedEx (in Tennessee).

The Interstate Highway System has been criticized for contributing to the decline of some cities that were too far from it and for displacing minority neighborhoods in urban centers.[96]Highways have also been criticized for increasing racial segregation by creating physical barriers between neighborhoods.[97] A great example of this is the journal article, "What Did Interstate Highways Do to Urban Neighborhoods?”. This journal article brings up the notion that the authors believe that the construction of urban highways led to the destruction of racially diverse neighborhoods. However, they also acknowledge that other contributing factors led to this well. Other critics have blamed the Interstate Highway System for the decline of public transportation in the United States since the 1950s.