ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Interstate Highway System

Interstate highway system is like a big road network that connects different cities and states in the United States. Just like how you have roads in your neighborhood that take you to your friend's house, these highways connect people and places across the entire country!

Back in the olden days, people used to take smaller roads to travel from one place to another, which was fine if they had to drive only to nearby places. But when they had to travel longer distances, it would take a lot of time, and the roads weren't good enough to drive faster.

So, in the 1950s, the government came up with a plan to build a big road network that could take people and goods across the country quickly and easily. They called it the Interstate Highway System, and it was a big deal because it connected cities and states in ways that had never been possible before.

The highways were designed to be wider and smoother than the older roads, so that cars and trucks could move faster and more smoothly. The roads also had special features like entrances and exits, overpasses, and underpasses, so that cars could get on and off the highway easily and safely.

Today, the Interstate Highway System has over 48,000 miles of roads and connects almost all major cities and towns across the country. It's like a big puzzle where all the different pieces (roadways) come together to create one giant picture. Without this system, traveling across the United States would be a lot more difficult!
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