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Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956

The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, popularly known as the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act, officially began on June 29, 1956, when a hospitalized Dwight D. Eisenhower signed this bill creating a $25 billion system of Interstate highways. The act created a trust fund that paid for 90% of highway construction costs, with the states required to pay the rest.