So a National Arterial Highway System could be created, largely from existing infrastructure, based on the Virginia model. Some zoning controls and judicious use of eminent domain would be necessary to ensure the continued usefulness of already constructed roads. The object would be to substantially reduce the need to acquire additional right of way and minimize the need for new highway construction. This could be enforced at different levels based on traffic volumes and development density. In other words, an arterial route could be fully signed without having to be brought up to standards deemed unnecessary. The Interstate Highways of Alaska illustrate how the concept would work: the funding formula would be in place for arterial roads based on actual need.

In time, it would be logical to assume that many such roads would be upgraded to current interstate standards as volume warranted it.

Also, it is reasonable to suggest that standards can be adjusted to avoid unnecessary construction in environmentally sensitive areas. The US 48 connection to ‘corridor h’ is one such example. The road may be signed in the system but remain unimproved as long as traffic safety does not outweigh the desirability of keeping the corridor from being widened.

How it would work...
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