§17 [highways.]

Summary

Changes how some federal highway rules work. "State" now means any of the fifty States, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico. Two older subsections (23 U.S.C. 103(g) and 105(e)) are removed. The Interstate System is to be inside the United States, including the District of Columbia, and cannot be more than 41,000 miles. Routes must link major cities, metro areas, and industrial centers, help national defense, and, when possible, connect to important Canadian and Mexican routes. State highway departments should pick routes together with neighboring States, and the Secretary must approve. Any route finally approved that is not already in the primary system must be added even if it pushes past mileage limits. The system can go through rural and urban areas. The law also gives Hawaii $12,375,000 from the Interstate funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1962, to speed building (including bridges and tunnels); that amount reduces other States’ share for that year. The Secretary of Commerce must include Hawaii in future apportionments and account for this payment. For Hawaii, laws or rules in effect on February 1, 1960 apply under section 127 instead of those from July 1, 1956.