It’s hard to imagine it now, but in the mid-1920s, the U.S. only had 250 routes for cars. Today, there are more than 55,000 auto bridges, close to 4 million miles of road, and an intricate system of high speed super highways that connect every major city in the country.
These superhighways – which allowed drivers to travel long distances at high speeds – redefined American cities and culture. Earl Swift has written a comprehensive examination of these roadways called “The Big Roads: The Untold Story of the Engineers, Visionaries, and Trailblazers who Created the American Superhighways.” He joins us from Virginia.