July 19th, 2015: National highway proposed in 1934

The magazine Modern Mechanix featured this drawing in July 1934.

So quaint to imagine that there would only be two roads! Eff You, Florida! Eff You, Chicago! Eff You, Texas! Boston, I know it would only take a little wee bit more road to get to you but... EFF YOU!

~ they didn't say fuck in 1934 ~

Looks like the early planning stages for getting cheap labor from Mexico up and over to New England.

Notice how they put an underpass near a river so when it overflows its banks everyone becomes wetbacks.

But just think how many airplanes could land on such a straight road in times of war!

100 mph and traffic entering on the left? that's crazy talk.

In 1918, at the end of WW I, The US Army sent a convoy from Washington DC to San Francisco, Mostly following US rte 30. Averaging about 6 miles an hour, or 58 miles a day, it took 62 days for the 3,251 miles.

With depression dragging on and the specter of war on the horizon, this highway would enable moving our army quickly, plus jump start the depression economy. Even with all the New Deal CCC projects going on this was politically impossible.

During WW II the military, including Ike, were impressed with Germany's highway system, which Hitler had built to enable moving his army quickly plus jump start their sagging economy, in 1933. So Ike's Interstate Highway plan had to be inclusive to get the support in Congress, and with limited grades and minimum 16 ft clearances for missile carriers to please the military.

... and how else could they justify these million-$ "time to ..." signs now being built
to tell you how long you're going to be sitting in that 2-lane parking lot.

Attachment 52663

... and how else to justify the multi-million-$ private company to make all such signs.

Wonder which came first, the highway, or the Highway Patrol?

Neither, the list of dollar value for violations came first.

look at all that open space on the roadway!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clodfobble But just think how many airplanes could land on such a straight road in times of war!

But Sa-am, you made the rails too high.

That looks like me on the parallel bars in gym class.

I thought I was going to hear that 1943 song...

Comin' in on a wing and a prayer
Comin' in on a wing and a prayer
Though there's one motor gone
We can still carry on
Comin' in on a wing and a prayer

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clodfobble But just think how many airplanes could land on such a straight road in times of war!

IIRC, don't they (both countries) stage fighters just off the interstates in certain areas? Didn't Russia, or maybe Norwegia, do that, too?