e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia Online

National Road

Roads Section 1 of 17

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In 1806, Congress approved building a National Road--basically, the United States' first interstate--to connect eastern markets to the Ohio River. Construction started in 1811 and reached Wheeling in 1818. The road helped Wheeling grow as a key transportation hub. It continued west through Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers later took over the project, adding tollhouses and handing parts of the road to the states. In total, the federal government spent $6.8 million on the road.

The National Road declined after railroads like the Baltimore & Ohio reached Wheeling in the 1850s but later became part of U.S. Route 40. Today, it's a scenic byway, with historic landmarks like the Elm Grove Stone Arch Bridge (built in 1817) and the Wheeling Suspension Bridge (1849). In 2002, the 16-mile West Virginia stretch of the road was named the state’s first All-American Road.