Background

• The Federal Highway Act was signed on June 29,1956

• 2006 marks the 50th Anniversary of the resulting Interstate Highway System

• A year-long series of state and national events have been planned by AASHTO and state DOTs

Before there were interstates …

Lt. Colonel Dwight D. Eisenhower participates in a cross-country

“Motortrain”

1919

The emergence of the interstate

• Interstate routes were proposed after wartime experience with the German highways called Autobahns

• An interregional system was also proposed in 1939

• A strategic highway network was compared to proposed interregional highways in 1941

• The Interstate Highway System was then chosen by joint action of State Departments of Transportation in 1947

The Federal Highway Act

was signed by President

Eisenhower on June 29,1956

Proposed interstate route designs

Interstates in Minnesota

• The first section of interstate highway in Minnesota was completed in 1958—eight miles of Interstate 35 between Owatonna and Medford

• Today there are almost 1,000 miles of interstate highway in Minnesota

• Minnesota interstates include I-35, I-90 and I-94

Mn/DOT Headquarters, St. Paul

Construction begins on I-94 at Moorhead

I-94 section links Twin Cities with I-94 to Moorhead

Gov. Wendell Anderson, other officials celebrate completion of I-90 at Blue Earth

Gov. Al Quie, Commissioner Dick Braun celebrate opening a section of I-35E

Commissioner Len Levine, Bob Winter lead celebration of last section of I-35E in St. Paul

I-694 over the Mississippi River

I-35 through Duluth

What next?

• Safeguard what exists

• Make the transportation network operate better

• Make Mn/DOT work better

Minnesota Road Research Center collects data from traffic on I-94 to measure pavement performance

The I-394 HOV lane changed to a HOT lane in 2005

Did you know …

• The total miles of the Interstate system is 46,837• The longest Interstate is I-90, which runs from

Seattle, through Minnesota and on to Boston, a distance of 3,020.54 miles

• East-west interstate route numbers end in an even number

• North-south routes end in an odd number• In Minnesota, and a few other states, there was

actually highway Princesses • The last link of the interstate in Minnesota was

I-35E through St. Paul

Public Awareness Campaigns

• AASHTO national campaign

• Minnesota commemoration

Goals

• Educate and inform the public about the importance of the Interstate to our economy and way of life.

• Raise policy questions as we look to the next 50 years of transportation – how will we prioritize and pay to protect the investment?

Minnesota Efforts• Establish a 50th Anniversary Advisory Group• Create a Web site (

http://www.dot.state.mn.us/interstate50/)• Sponsor an essay contest• Create traveling displays and other visuals• Host a public forum on the past, present and future of

transportation• Hold a news conference or special event on June 29

at the Capitol and/or in districts• Showcase the history of highways at the State Fair• Educate the public about our funding needs and

funding options like the Motor Vehicle Sales Tax

Your Mn/DOT contacts

• Craig Wilkins– Craig.wilkins@dot.state.mn.us– 651/296-0838

• Lisa Yang– Lisa.yang@dot.state.mn.us– 651/284-0256