California has abundant natural resources, including timber and minerals. It also grows a significant amount of agricultural products. In the 1800s and early 1900s, when the state was connected by dirt roads, many areas with large amounts of minerals and timber were inaccessible. California could not use its natural wealth because its people could not reach it. Rural areas were especially isolated. It was very difficult for farmers to bring their crops to urban markets before the crops spoiled.
The dirt roads of the 1800s and early 1900s did not allow for fast speeds in an automobile or on a horse. They also did not offer direct routes between different areas. Even when the roads were paved in rural areas, they often linked small communities, which slowed down travel time. Until the freeways were built, people could not pass by small towns and pursue a more direct route through the country to their destination.
Connecting California was more than economic necessity, it was also vital to the lives of residents. It was difficult, if not impossible, for poorly connected rural areas to receive medical help in a timely manner. California State Highway One was built exactly for this reason. Until the highway was finished, authorities could only reach shipwrecks off the Big Sur Coast by an hours-long boat trip. Rural communities along much of California's coast were cut off from the rest of the world. Doctors could only reach them through winding paths on foot or by boat.
In 1956, President Eisenhower signed the Federal Aid Highway Act. The Act created the Federal highway program and designated federal funding for the construction of highways to connect the country. Interstate highways had to meet a high standard to ensure the safety of drivers and to aid interstate commerce. The U.S. Federal Government provided 90% of the funding for construction of interstates and a plan for the location of the freeways. Along with the states' desire for better roads, the federal funding and highway program led all continental states to begin construction.
