The Man Who Changed America

I only wish India had such forward thinking leaders like Eisenhower, instead we are stuck with turds like Deve Gowda and his son who are hell-bent on jinxing the construction of even just 120km of highway from bangalore to 1 small town, mysore. God bless India if it going to approach the construction of roads in fits and starts with regular interference from egoistic politicians. It's a very good recipe for stagnation. And then politicians blame businesses for not creating jobs. How the f**k is business going to be able to create jobs if you the govt can't provide the raw material- infrastructure. http://logtk.blogspot.com/2006/06/how-not-to-build-developed-nation.html

The Man Who Changed America, Part I http://www.tfhrc.gov/pubrds/03mar/05.htm
by Richard F. Weingroff

President Eisenhower's interest in good roads began in 1919 and resulted in the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956—but he had to fight for his Grand Plan.

On Inauguration Day, January 20, 1953, after the ceremonies ended, President Dwight D. Eisenhower would have much to do. He would face the immediate problems first, as all Presidents must. But the road-building community, which had been disappointed by President Truman (see "The Man Who Loved Roads," Public Roads, May/June 2002), was optimistic about a new President who had written in a preelection statement to the Hearst Newspapers:

The Man Who Changed America, Part II http://www.tfhrc.gov/pubrds/03may/05.htm
by Richard F. Weingroff

President Eisenhower achieved his Grand Plan for the Interstate System with passage of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956—but his interest in the new highways didn't end there.

On July 27, 1955, the U.S. House of Representatives dealt President Dwight D. Eisenhower's hopes for the Interstate System a bitter defeat. His proposal, developed by General Lucius D. Clay and tinkered with by other Administration officials, went down to an expected defeat in the House. The bill generated little support and much opposition.

There's a 5 part series on the 50th anniversary of the Interstate system at The Engineer's Place http://cr4.globalspec.com/article.pl?sid=06/06/26/1248237