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Via Appia - the world's first highway -

The Romans established a vast network of highways throughout their empire, the most famous being Via Appia or Appian Way, built in 312 BCE during the ancient republic. It connected Rome to Brindisi, and was one of the first long-distance paved roads in the world. Parts of this famed highway are still visible and remain trodden today, making Via Appia the oldest road surface still in use, according to Guinness World Records.

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Legacy of the Roman roads -

Roman roads remained in use for centuries. While they disappeared with time, new roads sprang up to follow their routes. Pictured in 1937 is a lane set parallel to Fosse Way, the Roman road in England that linked Isca Dumnoniorum (Exeter) with Lindum Colonia (Lincoln).

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The Pershing Map -

In the 20th century, the United States Congress began funding roadways through the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916. The Federal Aid Highways Act of 1921 further provided for federal matching funds for road construction and improvement. Six year later in 1922, General John Pershing submitting a detailed network of 20,000 miles (32,000 km) of interconnected primary highways—the so-called Pershing Map—after the Bureau of Public Roads asked the Army to provide a list of roads that it considered necessary for national defense.

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The first motorway in the world -

But it was in Europe that the first motorway in the world was inaugurated. On September 21, 1924, Italy's King Victor Emmanuel III opened the Autostrada dei Laghi ("Lakes Motorway"), which today forms parts of the Autostrada A8 and Autostrada A9.

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The Reichsautobahn -

Soon after Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, the Nazi dictator approved an ambitious long-distance highway construction project. The Reichsautobahn system was the beginning of the German autobahns. This picture, taken from the Graf Zeppelin airship, shows the new highway between Cologne and Dusseldorf under construction.

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A propaganda coup -

The ambitious program of building the autobahn network not only improved Germany's transport infrastructure, it created 100,000 jobs and was a propaganda coup.

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Improving Germany's infrastructure -

This photograph taken in 1935 shows the opening of the first section of the Frankfurt–Heidelberg motorway near Darmstadt.

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The road to victory -

Ironically, the Autobahn, built in part to carry Hitler's conquering armies to glory, ended up facilitating his conquerors. Here, tanks of the 11th Armored Division, Third US Army, advance along the motorway near Frankfurt on March 31, 1945.

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One of the world's longest motorway networks -

Today, Germany's Autobahn network has an approximate total length of about 8,197 miles (13,192 km)—among the longest and most densest in the world.

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The emerging motorway network in the US -

Germany's impressive Autobahn system was not lost on the Americans. By the late 1930s, planning had expanded to a system of new superhighways across the nation. Pictured is traffic near Chicago.

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Mapping the way forward -

In 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt drew inspiration from Pershing's idea to create a hand-drawn map (pictured) with eight superhighway corridors for the Bureau of Public Roads to study. Roosevelt had sown the seeds of what would become the Interstate Highway System.

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Getting in gear -

Meanwhile, the four-lane Pennsylvania Turnpike was taking shape. Modeled after Germany's autobahns, the road was one of the earliest long-distance, limited-access highways in the United States and served as a precedent for additional limited-access toll roads and the Interstate Highway System.

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Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 -

On June 29, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law the Federal-Aid Highway Act. The bill authorized the construction of 41,000 miles (66,000 km) of the Interstate Highway System over a 10-year period, at a cost of US$25 billion (equivalent to approximately $215 billion in 2024). 

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Accelerating costs -

Inevitably perhaps, the project's timescale and budget was vastly underestimated. It ended up costing US$114 billion, or $618 billion today's money, and took 35 years to complete. Pictured under construction in 1956 is the San Diego freeway.

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Driving American identity -

Essentially, America's National Interstate Highway System was developed to accommodate the nation's growing prosperity and need for civil defense. The Interstate Highway System also dramatically affected American culture, contributing to cars becoming more central to the American identity.

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First among equals -

In October 1974, Nebraska became the first state to complete all of its mainline Interstate Highways with the dedication of its final section of Interstate 80. The final segment of I-80 was opened in 1986.

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Journey's end -

The original Interstate Highway System was proclaimed to be completed with the opening of the last section of Interstate 70 (I-70), the 15-mile (24-km) Glenwood Canyon.

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First motorway in the United Kingdom -

Back across the pond, the Preston Bypass was the United Kingdom's first motorway. Opened on December 5, 1958, the road originally stretched eight miles (12 km). It would later form part of the M6 Motorway.

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Opening of the M1 -

Britain's first full-length motorway was the M1. Opened in 1959, it connected London with Leeds. Pictured is a section under construction showing the Broughton roundabout at the junction with the Dunstable and Newport Pagnell roads.

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Speed is of the essence -

A view from inside a car traveling along the first stretch of the new M1 motorway on November 2, 1959. The vehicle is being driven at over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). In those days, there was no speed limit on the motorway.

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Iconic landmark -

An iconic example of civil engineering, the M1 carries anywhere between 130,000 and 140,000 vehicles every day. But it's not Britain's busiest motorway. That honor belongs to the M25.

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"The Road To Hell" -

The M25 is an orbital motorway that almost completely encircles London. At 117 miles (188 km) in length, this is one of Europe's largest ring roads. It's also one of the most dangerous. Besides almost daily gridlock, numerous accidents have been recorded on the M25, many of them fatal. In 1989, British singer-songwriter Chris Rea released an album called 'Road to Hell.' An eponymous single topped the UK Albums Chart for three weeks. Rea later explained that the song was inspired by the frustrations of M25 rush-hour traffic.

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"Spaghetti Junction" -

Not for nothing is the Gravelly Hill Interchange in Birmingham, England, known as "Spaghetti Junction." When the interchange opened in 1972, drivers complained about its complex road system. Indeed, with its winding roads and unexpected gradient variations, it makes for one of the most confusing junctions in the country for motorists to navigate.

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Meishin Expressway, Japan -

The Meishin Expressway was the first expressway in Japan, opening in 1963. It connects Osaka and Nagoya. The road is pictured in 1965 as the Hikari Super Express train speeds over a rail bridge above.

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Dalton Highway, USA -

One of the most isolated roads in the US is the Dalton Highway in Alaska. Signed as Alaska Route 11, this is a 414-mile (666-km) road that connects Fairbanks with Deadhorse near the Arctic Ocean.

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Lærdal Tunnel, Norway -

The Lærdal Tunnel in Norway carries two lanes of European Route E16. At 15 miles long (24 km), this is the longest road tunnel in the world. It serves as the final link completing the main highway that now enables car travel between Oslo and Bergen.

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Karakoram Highway, Pakistan -

One of the highest paved roads in the world is the Karakoram Highway, in northern Pakistan. It reaches a maximum elevation of 15,466 feet (4,714 m) near the Khunjerab Pass. 

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US Route 50, USA -

US Route 50 is often called "the loneliest road in the world." Stretching 3,019 miles (4,859 km) from California to Maryland, the highway runs through mostly rural desert and mountains.

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Pan-American Highway -

At around 19,000 miles (30,000 km), the Pan-American Highway is the world's longest "motorable road," according to Guinness World Records. Mexico became the first Latin American country to complete its portion of the highway, in 1950.

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Highway 1, Australia -

Meanwhile, Australia's Highway 1 can claim the title of longest continuing highway in the world (the Pan-American Highway is separated by the Darién Gap). Highway 1 has a total length of approximately 9,000 miles (14,500 km).

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Trans-Siberian Highway, Russia -

Not far behind in terms of length is the Trans-Siberian Highway. A network of federal highways that span the width of Russia from the Baltic Sea to the Sea of Japan, the highway is over 6,800 miles (11,000 km) long.

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Trans-Canada Highway, Canada -

And at 4,645 miles (7,476 km) long, the Trans-Canada Highway travels through all 10 provinces of Canada, from the Pacific Ocean on the west coast to the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast, to make this scenic route one of the longest of its type in the world.

Sources: (National Highways) (Federal Highway Administration) (ResearchGate) (Guinness World Records) 

See also: The Canada-United States border is the longest international border in the world

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