National Road, Historic federal highway from Cumberland to Vandalia, US
The National Road runs for 620 miles (roughly 1,000 kilometers) from Cumberland in Maryland to Vandalia in Illinois, crossing six states along the way. The route follows old trails and connects river valleys with mountain passes, with stone bridges and mileposts marking the original trace.
Construction started in 1811 as the first interstate road project of the federal government and aimed to connect the young republic with the west. The work stretched over several decades and reached Vandalia in the 1830s, before the railroad took over as the main route for long-distance travel.
The road linked east coast towns with the interior and brought stagecoaches, traders and settlers together at taverns and rest stops along the way. Many of these old buildings still serve as restaurants or museums and show what life was like along the route in the 1800s.
Today US Route 40 follows much of the old route, and signs point out the historic path. Some sections remain as narrow country roads with stone bridges, while others have merged into modern highways.
The Wheeling Suspension Bridge from 1849 once held the record as the longest suspension bridge in the world and marked an important point on the route. Travelers could cross the Ohio River here without relying on ferries, which sped up the journey westward considerably.
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