Thesis

Paving the Way to Success:
How the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 Shaped the American Frontier


Thesis

The Federal-Aid Highway Act (FAHA) of 1956 expanded the Interstate Highway System (IHS) to 41,000 miles, forever changing the American frontier both physically and economically. Described at the time as the biggest road-building project undertaken in the world, the FAHA eliminated travel barriers, causing an explosion of economic development to previously remote areas, and greatly improving life quality for Americans.

Completed I-495 through Long Island, New York in the late 1950s, National Archives.

Marie Miscinski
Junior Individual Website
Word Count: 1187
Media Time: 2:56
Process Paper Count: 465