Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
Shailen P. Bhatt was officially sworn in by Pete Buttigieg, U.S. secretary of transportation, on January 13, 2023, to serve as head of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This inaugural ceremony made Bhatt the 21st administrator of FHWA and the first person of Indian descent to step into that leadership position. The previous month, Bhatt... Continue Reading →
April 11, 1895 A letter from California that was sent to General Roy Stone (1836-1905), director of the U.S. Office of Road Inquiry (forerunner of the Federal Highway Administration), shared news about a significant milestone in highways development within that state. This letter was from state highway officials in California and read in part: “It... Continue Reading →
In 1993, President Bill Clinton appointed Rodney E. Slater as administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This appointment made Slater the first African American to serve in that role. He remained FHWA administrator until 1997, when Clinton appointed him to serve as U.S. secretary of transportation. Slater was only the second African American to... Continue Reading →
October 3, 1970 In Wyoming, a 77-mile (123.9-kilometer) segment of Interstate 80 between the city of Laramie and community of Walcott Junction was officially opened to traffic. This section remains the longest stretch of the Interstate Highway System to make its debut at one time without any portion of the entire length previously opened. The... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 