What an experience! What an education! What an opportunity to see and learn about highway transportation! Forty-seven years ago, at the very beginning of construction for the National System of Interstate Highways, we were honored to be co-winners of the first C. C. Wiley Travel Award.

This trip permitted us to visit with leading transportation professionals in education, government, and construction in the summer of 1955. On weekends, we took side trips to beautiful highlights of this great country. We drove 10,300 miles through 15 western states in 11 weeks.

We experienced highways in mountainous terrain, through national parks, across desert plains, along the seashore, and in varied urban areas. Salaries for graduate engineers started at $400 per month, so we really appreciated those professionals who treated us to lunches and dinners. Free rooms at fraternities on university campuses were also welcomed. The very best motel cost $6 per night, and gasoline ran 28 to 35 cents per gallon. That’s about $1.85 to $2.30 per gallon in today’s dollars, which suggests part of the reason our highway system upkeep is falling behind.

By 1955, most of the extensive repairs had been completed for roads that had served the country during World War II. Improving economic conditions and a desire to "see the U. S. A." resulted in an unprecedented demand for more and better roads in urban and rural areas across the nation. After years of discussion, Congress enacted and President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation authorizing the 42,000-mile system of Interstate and Defense Highways. In 1955, multilane, divided roads were less than 1/3 of 1 percent of the highways. The Interstate System was complete by year 2000, increasing this percentage by tenfold.

On the Road

Most of our travel was on two-lane highways or county roads. Unlike today, travelers across most states in 1955 would be unable to use four- and six-lane divided highways. Seeing first-hand the freeways in Los Angeles was quite exciting and a pleasant change from the challenging drive on winding two-lane roads across beautiful northern California. Those freeways we saw in Los Angeles now serve more than 180,000 vehicles per mile on a typical day and are part of the Eisenhower Interstate Highway System. We also saw the Turner Turnpike in Oklahoma, which later was incorporated into I-44.

We were able to see and learn about pavement design issues, innovative construction procedures, and the need for good planning for urban transportation systems in this country. The WASHO (Western Association of State Highway Officials) Test Road in Utah and the AASHO (American Association of State Highway Officials) Test Road in Illinois provided excellent input on design and construction issues.

Discussions in California highlighted the advantages of extensive urban freeway routes as well as the need for good planning to integrate these facilities into the urban and environmental systems. We saw examples of expedited construction methods, such as slip-form paving in Iowa and a two-mile precast bridge deck under construction in Idaho.

We were most fortunate that Professor Ellis Danner, our University of Illinois adviser, had set up an integrated and comprehensive schedule. Side trips on the weekends allowed us to visit many scenic areas, such as Garden of the Gods, Grand Tetons, Yosemite, and Carlsbad Caverns.

While visiting more than 30 agencies and private companies, our talks with those responsible for various aspects of the nation’s transportation system provided grand insight to a profession we were just entering. Decades later, we encountered transportation professionals in Texas and Oklahoma who remembered us from our trip.

We took away many memories. The highway construction procedures studied in class were brought to life in Kansas; true applied research on materials was demonstrated in Utah; traffic flow principles were put into practice in Colorado and California; and the need for large culverts in desert areas when the rains fall was proven in Arizona.

Upon completion of the trip, we agreed that the roughest, toughest route we experienced was in the northern California mountains. The best, most modern highways were also in California.

After 11 weeks on the road, we were eager to return to our U of I sweethearts (whom we each later married). The camaraderie among the four of us has lasted to this day.

Back at the University of Illinois we enrolled in advanced studies to prepare for professional careers, feeling greatly enhanced by these experiences. The discussions with professionals at city, county, state, and federal levels were truly rewarding. The field experiences were cherished for many decades. The monthly reports and final documentation were worthy experiences that also helped prepare us for success in our careers.

We are pleased that 47 years later, this outstanding award is still being given to deserving seniors at the U of I.