Or write to:
Illinois Department
of Transportation
2300 S. Dirksen
Pkwy.
Springfield, IL 62764
(217) 782-7820
Features
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: 217/782-6953
SEPTEMBER 9, 2002
FAX: 217/782-8714
TTY:217/524-4875
www.dot.il.gov
National Road Scenic By-Way Receives Highest Honor
SPRINGFIELD, IL- The National Road in Illinois' has been designated
an All-American Road. Status as an All-American Road, is the highest honor
for a roadway in the United States.
To receive All-American Road status, the road or highway must be considered
"a destination unto itself." It must provide an exceptional driving
experience for travelers that driving the road is the primary reason for
their trip.
"This is a tremendous honor for the Department to receive All-American
status on one of our highways. We are proud of the historical significance
that our roads and highways have played in the nation, " said Kirk
Brown, Secretary, Illinois Department of Transportation.
The National Road, courses its way though six states, over
825 miles and is the longest multi-state historic road to archive All-American
Road status. In Illinois, the National Road runs along U.S. 40 from Marshall
to Collinsville and eventually to the Eads Bridge at St. Louis.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta announced this honor for The
National Road. There are currently 75 scenic by-ways in 39 states, with
only 20 having All-American Road status. Illinois has 5 scenic by-ways,
the National Road is the first to receive the highest award.
Cumberland County Covered Bridge
The National Road represents 250 years of
American history, stemming back to George Washington and Thomas Jefferson
who believed a trans-Appalachian land link was needed to unify the expanding
United States. In 1806 Congress authorized construction of the first federally
funded road in U.S. history extending from Cumberland, Maryland to the Ohio
River. The route was later extended to the Mississippi River at St. Louis.
The highway was seen as a way to unite the developed eastern
part of the U.S. with its western frontier. It carried people, mail and
goods, speeding development and communication across the country. The National
Road became US 40 in the 1920s and pavement of the highway began. It once
again became a major national east-west artery, and remained so until Interstate
70 replaced it in the 1960s.
Sites of interest in Illinois along The National Road include the Lincoln
Log Cabin, Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, the Cumberland County Covered
Bridge, the Stone Arch Bridge at Marshall and the historic State House
in Vandalia.
For more information about The National Road you can visit their web site
at www.nationalroad.org.
