 | HARRISBURG – Nearly 200 transportation stakeholders today celebrated the 50th anniversary of President Eisenhower's signing of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, which led to the creation of the Interstate Highway System.
"We gather to celebrate one of the links on which our society was built," said PennDOT Secretary Allen D. Biehler, P.E, during a ceremony at the Eisenhower National Historic Site in Gettysburg. "The interstates made a tremendous difference in the lives of Americans. And we are on a continuing quest to maintain and preserve the interstates as a vital piece of the state's transportation system."
Joe Brimmeier, chief executive officer of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission; Colonel Jeffrey B. Miller, commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police; and Major General Jessica L. Wright, State Adjutant General from the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, joined officials from the Federal Highway Administration and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in celebrating the interstate anniversary.
"As we mark the 50th anniversary of the interstate system, we recognize that the system has changed the lives of Americans by making us more mobile and allowing us to move goods more quickly," Miller said. "The goal of the Pennsylvania State Police has been – and will continue to be – to keep our interstates open and safe for all travelers."
The Pennsylvania Turnpike ranks as the state's oldest interstate. The portion of the turnpike between Irwin and Carlisle opened in October of 1940.
"As caretaker of America’s first super-highway, we’re delighted to be participating in an event celebrating the significance of the signing of the act that actually created the interstate system," Brimmeier said.
Pennsylvania’s 1,758 miles of interstate ranks it fourth nationally.
Along with its role as a transportation system for moving people and goods, Wright noted the critical role the interstate system serves for the state and national military.
"The link between interstate highways and military installations is vital for military and civil defense operations," said Wright. "At Fort Indiantown Gap, and at all of our installations throughout the commonwealth, the proximity of interstate roadways has a strategic and tactical importance."
Before the ceremony, a convoy of 50 antique, commercial and military vehicles traveled from Carlisle to Gettysburg. Approximately 15 of the convoy's vehicles had started their trip in California on June 14 and expect to reach their final destination, Washington, D.C., on Thursday. |