We'll Take the High Road

you [Music] more and more and more cars more on our roads than last year and there'll be more next year and the year after that more and more cars will be built and more cars will be born and every one of them will be entitled to room on our roads and highways the thing is will there always be room for one more car well there isn't even enough room now today many of our highways are already obsolete what would happen on them during a national emergency the entire population under panic conditions trying to escape death on the highways is one of America's greatest problems major factors in this mounting loss of life for the roads and highways themselves they are not engineered for safety or for the number of cars now using them President Eisenhower's militant call for a grand plan to provide a modern controlled-access highway system for safe efficient transcontinental travel led to the passage of the federal aid Highway Act of 1956 he dramatically underscored the fact that our interstate road network is inadequate locally and obsolete nationally the president has led the way to positive action public road engineers have long been making plans to meet the growing emergency of highway obsolescence they have worked with scientific detachment to create the interstate highway system that we need today and must have in the future in charge of this great program is federal highway administrator Bertram Dee Ptolemy the program involves the construction a forty one thousand miles of Expressway connecting every segment of the United States in addition to that it includes the construction of many hundreds of thousands of miles of state highways of city arterial routes and of secondary roads we usually call those farm-to-market highways there's no question but what completion of this wonderful highway construction program will affect everyone from the national defense point of view it's indispensable the beneficial effects of this program are certain to be felt in every community in the entire United States the greater Hilldale luncheon Club meets every Wednesday and of course everybody is there mr. Harper who works at the bank mr. Gunderson one of the community's most successful farmers mr. Huggins is a pretty important farmer to Emma Glock is the chairman of the hill Dale historical and civic Beautification Committee and it's largely due to her that Hill Dale is one of the prettiest and cleanest little towns in the state Sally owns a neat little coffee shop and Bill who has a service station and garage eats there and so does Ben who has a motel closeby today mayor Willits is presiding the other evening my seven year old daughter Gracie asked me what I thought was going to be a very difficult question so I began with the birds and the bees what she frowned and shook her head and said I know all that old stuff daddy what I want to know is where do all the automobiles come from mr. Norton our guest speaker who is an engineer with United States Bureau of Public Roads can answer Gracie's question as he talks to us about the new national system of interstate and defense highways mr. Norton Thank You Marilyn ladies and gentlemen I think the most important question is not where the automobiles come from but how they're going to get where they're trying to go in a typical state our roads and highways resemble an accidental natural growth the main stems the branches between in crossing this state from A to B about 200 stops will have to be made some four stoplights many to avoid other vehicles such a system or rather lack of system wastes time waste fuel and is a big factor in our appalling accident rate what is needed is one overall master plan for our roads and highways in this plan there will be no intersections access will be controlled it will really unite all of our United States it'll be possible to drive from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean and from Canada to Mexico on safe multi lane divided highways without a single stoplight or stop sign you will travel swiftly easily and safely because safety for the traveling public is engineered right into the plan this system of interstate and defense highways is for the traffic of the future at the rate traffic is increasing it is absolutely necessary for our towns and cities will be literally strangled in a few short years would you turn the lights on please it will benefit us tremendously economically it's a vital importance to national and civil defense and it'll make life easier and more enjoyable for all of us and so the pleasant friendly life of Hilldale moves on each week pretty much like the last just as it does in all the pleasant friendly towns that are the backbone and sinews of America mr. Harper was born in this fine old house built by his father like all of us he's glad to return to it at the end of a busy tiring day grandma is proud of the Harper home and takes special pride in the old trees especially those planted by her husband who set one out for each of their children hi how'd things go Oh same as usual town today Helen you remember two or three weeks ago we had a highway official a speaker at the lunch Club yes yes you told me about it freeways linking the whole country one of those freeways is coming here [Music] wonderful why will it go they don't say almost everyone in Hilldale is concerned about the proposed freeway nobody knows anything beyond the fact that it will certainly bypass the town they're afraid that without that traffic Hilldale will become a ghost town mr. Snavely has Hilldale specialist in dark suspicions he is sure this freeway thing is just another boondoggle to waste the taxpayers money [Music] and the biggest local news is of course the coming of a free way to Hilldale as we understand it the highway people have three alternate routes but their locations have not yet been disclosed there will be a meeting of the high school at 10 a.m. Saturday at which time an engineer state highway department will good morning ladies and gentlemen my name is gray I'm the deputy chief engineer of the state highway department this is mr. Anderson planning engineer together we hope to be able to answer the questions that many of you want to ask about the new freeway as part of the overall plan for a chain of expressways crossing the country from east to west and north to south one of the freeways serving our state will pass near Hilldale my name is Timmons I raise poultry I don't see why this freeway can't go straight across the state instead of dipping down to us the interstate system is designed to interconnect and serve the major cities the military and industrial areas of the United States the location of the cities which are the points of origin and destination in this part of the system make it necessary to build the freeway near Hilldale the national plan cannot be engineered unless the whole picture is taken into account my name is Harper I work in the bank when a freeway is put through a community such as ours what factors determine the exact route I'm going to call on mr. Anderson our planning engineer to answer that question because it comes under his department even before any field work is started many months of preliminary planning and engineering have been done the first step in actual location begins with the careful field survey most of which is done from the air oh this special camera photographs the terrain under study in three dimensions the story optic tree dimensional photographs are then interpreted and measured this method greatly reduces time and costs surveys which used to take 10 to 12 months are now completed in two or three electronic brains are used with great savings the measurements obtained from the 3d photographs are fed into the computer which with electronic speed and accuracy calculates all of the necessary construction factors affecting highway location and so determines where the road should be located thus the costs of preliminary survey and calculation are greatly reduced and were able to evaluate many possible roofs and select the best one actual savings of as much as 20% in the amount of dirt to be moved have resulted from these new engineering methods another example of the versatility of these new methods is demonstrated by this culvert the drainage area serves as mapped by aerial survey and the computer then calculates how much water there will be and how big the pipe should be to handle it with these methods the highway engineers make sure we get the most and the best roads for our money as an example of the care and science used to select roots soil is tested in all localities to determine its compaction qualities for fills and elevations other studies determine the aggregates to be used such as slag for concrete and asphalt shoulders fresh lime stone or rock their availability cost and adaptation to the proposed route all have a bearing on the selection of the route then two studies are made to determine the least disturbance in right-of-way location projected growth of the area cost of securing right-of-way buildings to be moved traffic to be handled location of entrances and exits and thousand-and-one other considerations the factors that determine a route are given to us by the camera calculator the laboratory and the scientists and engineers capable of making wise and impartial selections my name is Williams they tell me that you can only get on these freeways at certain places now why can't you get on wherever you'll want to the reason we must limit access to the freeways is that we wouldn't have a freeway very long if we didn't an old-fashioned highway without limited access can be entered at any point along the route by individuals and of course stoplights must be installed at intersections without planned access business establishments soon spring up at the corners and extend along the highway parked cars take the right-hand Lane we no longer have a highway it becomes the congested Main Street of a small town [Music] with limited access there is a frontage road which serves the business areas which cannot build up directly on the freeway and choke it to death as the main street of Hilldale is choked right now my name is Bill Jordan I have a service station on the highway just outside of town Ben here owns an auto Court Sally has a coffee shop in the same place Oh we'd like to know what the freeway is gonna do to us it looks to us like it'll drain a lot of people it might be customers off the highway where we are it looks like the money that the travelers now bring into town will stay on the new freeway and we'll never even get a chance at it our experience indicates that that isn't true for one thing money that might be spent in Hilldale now goes on through town suppose a highway traveler does want to buy something the chances are that they'll be out of town before they can find a place to stop then to most of the traffic on the main street of Hilldale is not there because it wants to be most of the travelers are simply trying to fight their way out of town once Hilldale is served by the freeway the travelers who have no intention of stopping in town will go straight on thus relieving the town's traffic congestion but travelers on the freeway are like everyone else the time comes when they need something and the freeway will be properly signed to let them know where they can find it after all every one of them will still need gas and oil all of them will eat three times a day and sleep in a motel or hotel at night such a freeway traveler will turn into town to find what he wants he'll spend money in Hilldale because that's what he came there to do careful studies of existing freeways such as the New York Thruway the Houston expressway and expressways in California New Jersey and other places indicate that in general business in an area served by a freeway shows an overall increase and property values show remarkable Rises it's because travelers can get into town move around find a place to park and buy what they want also the freeways have much greater traffic capacity and they're pleasant to drive on so they're just naturally more people for Hilldale to draw kind of makes sense all right my name is Miller how are all these people going to know where to turn off to get the things they need your state highway department will give you the information on the towns and cities ahead and the services they offer clearly and boldly like this even on the darkest nights we'll see these information signs as brightly as by day reflectorized signs leap into life thousands of feet ahead when caught by your lights and look exactly the same at night as by day in conjunction with proper signing highway lighting will show the way clearly and safely on and off the system in addition all hazardous locations will be clearly illuminated on our present highways one-third of the traffic is night traffic yet it produces two-thirds of the fatal accidents good lighting will correct this situation I'm Gunther Singh I have got farmland that will be cut no matter where you go and I am NOT going to stand for that and how do I get on this sure no fangled Road drive 10 to 15 miles it'll be closer to 4 miles today you only have to travel about 1 mile to get on the present highway but it's a pretty slow road as part of this accelerated program our farm-to-market roads will be developed as feeder roads to the interstate system and once on the freeway you will cut the time it takes you to reach your market by more than half your produce will certainly arrive at the market in a much shorter time it will be fresher and should bring a better price you will sell produce that might otherwise be lost and you will be able to select the markets with the highest prices yeah yeah maybe this your freeway be pretty good thing but not to cut my land a fair price will be paid for any land taken and damages will be paid for any property severed from the rest and this a possibility oftentimes of a trade Shiori our land is side-by-side they cut to north end and my sergeant they pierce then I trade you my hand for urine yeah they got to get up pretty early in the morning to fool Orly Gunderson mr. gray I am Emma God the chairman of Hill Dale's beautification and historical committee I've been studying these matter and each proposed route will destroy some natural beauty or some historical treasure of this community after all don't these things have some cultural and social value man does not live by bread alone mr. gray I agree I also believe that a cleanly designed and perfectly functional highway has the beauty of its own also the expert landscaping of a freeway often becomes a distinct community asset whenever possible in our bigger cities rights away are located in blighted or slum areas which helps to clean them up and we must never forget the safety of the freeways we must do what we can to cut down the appalling accident rate today on our highways we must protect our children we're beginning to drive and the freeway accident rate is less than half the national average sometimes we do have to give up a cherished thing in the interests of progress and the greatest good to the greatest number or what you've been saying makes sense to me I think this new highway will be a good thing for Hill Dale can you tell us at this time exactly where it will go three routes have been surveyed but the final decision will not be made until we study the record of this hearing if you pick Rudy it'll go smack right where my store is put it on B no sir route B would ruin me all those young trees my greenhouses put it on roots eat wait a minute root steal take my drive-in theater that's a mighty big investment put it on road a well put on B or C hey or Z but not B what are you fellas talking about not C believe me not see you've gotta put it on gentlemen please the freeway must go someplace why why should you outside us come in here and tell us we're gonna have a freeway the way you plan it why can't we have our own engineer to check these things let him tell us if we need a freeway and if so where it should go one of the purposes of this meeting is to ensure that equal consideration is given to local needs because in interstate highways coming through the community the state will gladly cooperate with your local planning engineer all right what happens to all this money US taxpayers dig up well a lot of it goes right back to you property owners the rest of it goes to the men who do the job engineers both in government and in consulting firms which designed many of our bridges and other major structures those who manufacture the machinery [Music] the equipment distributors to perform a vital service by furnishing and servicing the machinery then there are the suppliers of material such as aggregate cement asphalt guitar corrugated steel pipe aluminum for lighting fixtures bridge rails and signs and steel from massive bridges [Music] guardrails lighting standards wire mesh and other reinforcing and last but certainly not least is the army of workmen employed by the highway contractors how do we know we're getting our money's worth and who gets these contracts all the jobs are advertised publicly and qualified contractors are invited to bid in accordance with our American system of pre competitive enterprise anyone else please my daughter-in-law ever well she's married to John and they live over in West Fox the freeways already been built over there they think it's just wonderful but I've been wondering about these great big dangerous machines all the clatter and dust and confusion how long are we going to have to put up with such goings-on well those big machines they're not really dangerous because they're handled by experienced men trained to operate with safety both for the workmen and for the public under the skilled eyes of safety engineers of course there's bound to be some inconvenience in a project of this size but the workaround Hilldale won't take nearly as large in my think everything moves fast because the engineers and workmen are sure of themselves today we move mountains out of the way instead of going around coordination is modern and thorough there's no waiting around our modern designs with long sight distances and gentle sweeping curves are made possible by our great earthmoving machines [Music] on the biggest jobs we are actually able to move up to 30 tons of Earth in a single carrier at 25 miles an hour [Music] and modern paving machines unwind the ribbons of road before our eyes at an unbelievable rate if there are no further questions the hearing is closed thank you all for coming [Applause] well I got to see is it's a lucky thing for them I don't own any property where they're gonna put that thing you know Stavely I think it's kind of lucky for all of us if she don't yeah [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] you look for you dad registered the letter yo turn the TV set off turn it off well what is it John this from the highway commissioner highway commissioner we have found it necessary in locating the new interstate and national defense highway in the Hilldale area to acquire your property for right-of-way and would like to arrange at your convenience a meeting with our appraisers and negotiators to establish a fair value and arrange the terms of the purchase you mean the freeway is going to come to our place that's what the letter says they have no right to do this this is the Alpha place it always has been and it always will be I'm not going to have these highways people come in here and tear on our good trees and turn the house into rubble No they don't my trees and when those bulldozers come they'll find me sitting right here in this chair and if they're going to take the house from the trees now they'll take me to Joe run out and tell grandmother come back in the house the bulldozers won't be here for two or three months yes yes [Music] I've been thinking a lot about what we do if this happened and I believe there's only one answer [Music] there are always some people like mr. Snavely who don't want progress they're just against everything that's new and different whether it's good or bad but they never win now we don't want to give up our home any more than anyone else wants to give up theirs but anybody with any sense at all knows that this system of roads will be a good thing for his country and for all of us it's something we really need as a matter of fact we've got to have it if we're going to move ahead in this country the way we always have so it comes down to this we all want the roads but we want them on somebody else's place not ours we all want the benefits in the progress and the safety and the convenience we want them without having to disturb our own set up well if we want all these things the highway has to go someplace now the roots are selected by experts who have nothing against us they don't even know us they just designed the road to go where it'll do the most good for everybody and for the overall plan well it happens if this road goes through our place and I think we'd be pretty small-minded if we tried to fight it I'm sure we'll be given a good price for our place and we can build a new house and as far as I'm concerned I just don't think that any family or business or individual has any right to hold up anything that'll be good for his whole community and for his country - well sir before too long the freeway was completed and it all happened pretty much the way mr. gray had said it would the useless dangerous traffic jam was gone and Hilldale owned its own streets again the people who had been inconvenienced for a short time we're all in fine shape was good property values were up even grandma had to admit there's about as much satisfaction in planting a new tree as there is in admiring an old one maybe a little more and above all Hilldale itself had become a part of progress had taken its rightful place with all the other active forward-looking communities that have always made our country great [Music] [Applause] [Applause]