HIGHWAY ACT JUNE 1956 HIGHWAY ACT TRANSPORTATION U.S GOV'T EXECUTIVE U.S GOVERNMENT AND CONSTITUTION GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION IN JUNE 1956 CONGRESS PASSED THE HIGHWAY ACT WHICH PROVIDED 32 BILLION OVER 13 YEARS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A 41000 MILE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS WOULD CONNECT THE STATES AND MAJOR U.S CITIES THE ACT ALSO AUTHORIZED A FEDERAL TAX ON GASOLINE AND OTHER HIGHWAY USER ITEMS TO PAY FOR THE HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR 90 PERCENT OF THE COSTS WHILE THE STATES PAID THE OTHER 10 PERCENT CONGRESS PASSED THIS ACT IN RESPONSE TO STRONG PUBLIC PRESSURE THROUGHOUT THE 1950S FOR A BETTER ROAD SYSTEM BY THE 1980S THE U.S INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM WAS MORE THAN 45000 MILES LONG
