Design

The interstate system was designed to be a 'point-to-point' system, connecting all cities in the nation with a population of over 50,000. Most of Texas's larger cities—Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, San Antonio, El Paso—met this criteria; others would have the good fortune to be on a chosen interstate route.

While basic maps for the interstate system were in place by the 1940s, many issues that would affect the final system, such as how to pay for it and what the relationship between the federal government and the states would be, were not resolved. By 1962, however, the interstate system in Texas included highways that were either open, under construction or planned, with final routes to be determined by the Highway Commission.

"The biggest impact of the interstate is the connectivity across the state as far as the abilities of businesses in Texas to do commerce and to transport goods and services," said Arnold W. Oliver, retired executive director Texas Department of Transportation.

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