The Historic National Road in West Virginia

The Historic National Road in West Virginia. . , The Historic National Road is the nation's first, federally funded, interstate highway. It opened the nation to the west and became a corridor for the movement of goods and people. As a traveler on the Road today, you can experience a physical timeline, through the buildings and landscape, that traces over 200 years of American history. The Road is the result of the inspired vision of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Gallatin., The original path of the Road traced a route from Cumberland, Maryland to Wheeling, Virginia and later to Vandalia, Illinois. While the section of road in West Virginia is the shortest, it is also the most faithful to the original route. Authorized by Congress in 1806, construction began in 1811 and reached Wheeling in 1818. Quite an accomplishment considering this period was interrupted by the War of 18 12 with the British., The actual cost of construction to Wheeling averaged about $13,000 per mile, while the original estimate was only $6,000 per mile. The construction of the road was divided into two sections. The eastern section, from Cumberland, Maryland to Uniontown, Pennsylvania was built at a cost of $9,745 per mile. The cost of completing the western section, from Uniontown to Wheeling, increased sharply to about $16,000 per mile. One of the factors in the increase was the absence of cheap, local stone that could be used in construction., As you drive the Road, look for the restored, historic Mile Markers. They were the wayfinders used by early travelers. Each marker shows the distance to Wheeling, then a part of Virginia and the original western terminus of the road, and Cumberland, Maryland, the start of the National Road. The distance to the nearest local town is also displayed. All the markers are located on the north side of the National Road., (Captions):, About the map - , The background of this map is taken from a letter written in 1818 by one of the workers building the National Road., ● Interpretive Kiosk Locations, Additional interpretive kiosks are located at these sites: , - in front of the Toy and Train Museum on Kruger Street , - at the Madonna of the Trail monument , - in front of the Hampton Inn , - at the east entrance to the Wheeling Suspension Bridge