Brian Smith, age 11, of San Diego, Calif., for his question:
WHY ARE SOME HIGHWAYS CALLED TURNPIKES?
Today the continent is crisscrossed with a network of superhighways, making it possible for a traveler to move quickly from one city to another. The fine, well maintained highways are a result of much planning and the spending of a great deal of money.
In 1893 there was created in the U.S. Department of Agriculture the Office of Public Roads. Money was made available to subsidize highway construction by the various states.
Before the superhighways and modern roads came into being, crude roads linked communities. And there also developed a number of roads called turnpikes, privately owned roads which were maintained by charging a toll for those who used them.
Between 1792 and 1810 many private companies were chartered in the United States for the construction of toll roads. While the turnpikes were vital factors in improving the transportation links between cities, very few of them were even moderately successful financially. By the early 19th century, road building became almost exclusively a governmental function.
Superhighway construction came about after the automobile changed the way we live. Some turnpikes are in operation today, including the famous Pennsylvania Turnpike, an east west superhighway which crosses the state and on which are located toll collecting stations.
Some bridges are open to travelers on a toll basis, and also a number of sections of highways in the Eastern part of the United States. But for the most part, our superhighways are now available without a payment other than the tax money we all pay for the maintenance and construction of roads.
Some superhighways are called freeways and parkways the first name chosen because they are maintained on a toll free basis, and the second because they run through beautifully landscaped areas.
In 1925 a numbering system for our highways was adopted. Odd numbers run from north to south and even numbers from east to west. U.S. No. 1 runs up the East Coast while U.S. 101 runs the length of our West Coast. U.S. 2 runs from Maine to Seattle with one stretch running through southern Ontario, while U.S. 80 extends from Georgia to San Diego.
One of the world's first superhighway systems was built in Germany during the 1930s. Called the Autobahn, it linked all parts of the country using tunnels to pass through large hills, and high arching bridges to jump over steep canyons. This network avoided going through cities, choosing instead to skirt them.