| | PUBLIC ROADS On-Line (Summer 1996) - Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956: Creating the Interstate System |
 | | On Jan. 5, 1956, in his State of the Union Address, the president renewed his call for a "modern, interstate highway system." At first glance, prospects for bipartisan agreement on the highway program seemed slim in 1956, a presidential election year. |
 | | The 1956 act deferred a decision on the controversial issue of whether to reimburse states for turnpikes and toll-free segments built with less than 90-percent interstate funding or no funding. |
 | | The 1956 act also resolved one of the most controversial issues by applying the Davis-Bacon Act to interstate construction projects, despite concerns that the cost of the projects would be increased. |
| www.tfhrc.gov /pubrds/summer96/p96su10.htm (5395 words) |