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Today in Interstate History

Predisent Franklin D. Roosevelt.

December 20, 1944

Nearly a year after submitting to Congress a proposal for creating a national highway network (see January 12), President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1944 to help accomplish that goal. The law authorized $500 million annually for three years for a highway construction program to take place after World War II. Roosevelt noted in a statement, "Now it becomes a challenge to the states, counties and cities, which must originate the specific projects and get the program ready for construction after the war ends." The law also authorized the designation of a National System of Interstate Highways but did not allocate funds for its construction.