ABSTRACT
Robert Johnson sang of a deal with the devil, clinched at the crossroads where he failed to flag a ride, Big Bill Broonzy of the key to the highway, Otis Rush of so many roads. In New Orleans, with Interstate Highway construction in full flow across the country, political momentum developed behind a proposal for a riverfront expressway in front of the historic Vieux Carre District. In 1964 the Bureau of Public Roads announced that it was adding a riverfront expressway for New Orleans to the Interstate System, and, by January 1966, Louisiana Highways Department began work on a connecting tunnel. Technology may yet solve the problems of pollution, congestion and carbon emissions, through electronic vehicle control and electric power from sustainable sources. There is time for America to reshape its land-use planning, restore the cities, put the emphasis on integrated transport, and restructure access to and the use of its highway system, with tolls and controls.
