Originally Posted by genec

Ha!

That was the excuse that was used... The reality is something else all together than what we have today. How many of you know that the Secretary of Defense that made that recommendation was previously the President of General Motors... Think there was any connection? Good old boy network in action, perhaps???

Here are some quick wiki links for you... do your own research.
Federal highway act of 1956
Charlie E Wilson, secretary of Defense during Eisenhower years
BTW there is another Charlie E Wilson... and he too was "connected."

Let's put it this way... in those days, and for much of the years before "conflict of interest" between industry and state was something of "the way things were done..."

Oh and don't just rely on the wiki links... these are just to get you started... search around, go to a library, find out for yourself. Yeah..."defense project" indeed... Next we'll be drilling for oil in the Gulf for Defense needs... oh wait...