When was the first transcontinental U.S. highway built?
Completed in 1923, after ten years of planning and construction, the Lincoln Highway was the first transcontinental highway connecting the Atlantic coast (New York) to the Pacific coast (California). This highway is sometimes called the “Main Street of the United States.” The length of the highway, as it was originally proposed, would have been 3,389 miles (5,453 kilometers). The path was later adjusted, reducing its length to 3,143 miles (5,057 kilometers). The Lincoln Highway crosses 13 states: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and California. In 1925, the Lincoln Highway was designated for most of its length as U.S. Route 30. Sources: Kane, Joseph N. Famous First Facts, 4th ed., p. 549; Labatut, Jean, and J. L. Wheaton. Highways in Our National…
