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To: SmithL
After World War I Col Eisenhower was tasked with evaluating the road system in the United States. World War I had been a war where mobility on the ground and in the air was found to be the mitigating factor in winning. He found that the roads were not up to snuff if we were to move men and materiel to our coasts for fighting abroad, (or for that matter to repulse invaders!)

As president he saw that although improved, the roads were still inadequate so the Interstate highway system was born. Did you know that some of the roads were fashioned as secondary landing strips for aircraft including B-47s and BUFs? One of the modifying specs occurred in the late 50s when Atlas, Thor and Jupiter missiles were being manufactured in the Western US and then missiles were hauled on special truck beds to Cape Canaveral. Drivers reported that certain detours were needed to circumvent overpasses under which the missile carrier couldn't fit. Thus bridges were/are marked and as new bridges are built the trucking industry finds life easier.

5 posted on 06/17/2006 5:28:03 PM PDT by Young Werther
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To: Young Werther

I remember hearing that for every 7-10 miles of interstate (can't remember the exact number) 1 mile of it had to be in a perfectly straight line to be used for an airstrip for emergencies.


6 posted on 06/17/2006 5:42:30 PM PDT by LukeL
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