Research Excercise #2

Andrew Bell
Eng 1050
Research Exercise #2
Topic: Civil Engineering, renovating and re-imaging the U.S Interstate

Works Cited, Article 1:
Clash, James M. "Joy of Autobahn." New York Sept. 15, 2003: V. 172, I. 5; pg. 224

Summary
There are many positive aspects regarding the German Autobahn that could be applied to the U.S interstate, making cross-country travel faster, safer and less costly. Such a venture would be costly, but would inevitably lead to economic growth. The trouble is the cost of such a venture, but the positives far outweigh the negatives.

Response
In "Joy of Autobahn," James Clash researched and found that, to remake the 45,000 miles of U.S Interstate to meet Autobahn standards would cost approximately a half-trillion dollars (Clash 224). Such a venture looks daunting, but the U.S is already in debt over 2 trillion dollars. That's $2,000,000,000,000+ that we are in debt. We are the United States of America, but in the next fifty, or even one hundred years, will we still be the USA, or will we be considered the former-USA. A civil engineering project is just what this country needs tight now. Our highways are paramount to the success of businesses, both large and small, but they are becoming outdated in an ever quickening world.

Works cited, Article 2:
Reid, Robert L. "Paving America Coast to Coast". Civil Engineering June 2006: V. 76, I. 6; pg. 37

Summary
Back when Eisenhower initiated the building of the U.S Interstate, the design was based off of the German Autobahn. His plan was to make cross country travel easier with the use of a comprehensive system of roads that would allow people and ideas to travel from coast to coast faster than ever before. He succeeded by calling on the people of his country, people like you and me, to take up this cause and make our country a better place to live.

Response
Robert Reid explains that, after becoming the president in 1953, Eisenhower decided that the U.S needed it's own quality highway and modeled the U.S interstates after the German Autobahn (Reid 37). Since then automobiles have made leaps and bounds, computers can fit into our pockets, information can travel across the world in a blink of an eye, and no matter where you look, the world is increasing its pace at an exponential rate. While we still have cars that drive on the ground, we should invest in keeping up with the rest of the world, lest we fall behind. We are, and have been, a super power, but how long can we police the world before the world retaliates. We're only one country and not even the biggest one at that. A new interstate, a faster system of transportation, would have immediate effect on product shipping, fuel economy, auto-manufacturers, and prices of products throughout the U.S.