ARTBA unveils 250 transportation projects that help tell the American success story 

As the U.S. celebrates its 250th anniversary, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) today unveiled a sweeping list of 250 transportation improvements that have fueled U.S. economic growth and enhanced quality of life during the past two and a half centuries.

From colonial roads and canals to railroads, bridges, ports and waterways, airports, rail and transit systems, and Interstate highways, the featured projects transformed a nascent nation of 13 colonies into a world superpower.

Connecting a Nation: 250 Transportation Projects That Helped Build America covers all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The multi-modal compilation includes 79 bridges and tunnels, 68 highways and streets, 35 ports and waterways, 36 rail and public transit systems, 24 airports, four trails, three pedestrian bridges, and one energy pipeline.

“America’s success story in its first 250 years is inextricably tied to how we move,” said ARTBA President Dave Bauer. “While thousands of transportation projects from coast to coast have contributed to the tapestry of the American experience, the projects we are highlighting teach a timeless lesson that strategic infrastructure investment pays dividends for many decades.”

The list was developed based on responses to a national survey sent to transportation design and construction firms, state transportation departments, state construction associations, university professors, and construction industry journalists. The projects, systems and facilities were selected based on their significant impacts on overall quality of life, including mobility, safety, and economic growth.

Among those most exemplifying American ingenuity, innovation and engineering and construction excellence are:

• 47,000-mile U.S. Interstate Highway System

• Transcontinental Railroad

• National Road

• Erie Canal

• Golden Gate Bridge

• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

• Brooklyn Bridge

• Mississippi River Navigation System

• Port of Los Angeles

• Chicago “L” System

While the anniversary offers an opportunity to celebrate past achievements, ARTBA emphasized that it is also a reminder that America’s transportation story is far from complete.

"The roads, bridges, ports and waterways, airports and rail systems that Americans depend on today exist because previous generations had the vision and commitment to invest in the future," Bauer said. “At the dawn of the next 250 years, we must continue investing in the infrastructure systems that will connect communities, strengthen our competitiveness, and improve quality of life for the next chapter of the American story."