moving to maryland


The “Golden Years” were the first 50 years of Maryland road building from the inception of the Maryland State Roads Commission in 1908 until the dawning of the Interstate Highway Era in the late 1950′s. Within that time frame Maryland connected her 23 counties from the mountains to the shore with paved roads and developed our US routes to connect with other states despite the challenges of two World Wars and the Great Depression. Hand labor and horse-drawn graders gave way to mechanized equipment in an effort to keep up with the increasing demand for highways and the movement of people and goods. By the time the Golden Anniversary of the Maryland State Roads Commission arrived, and nearly 10 years before the federal government funded the Interstate Highway System, Maryland was in the business of freeway construction. “Moving Maryland Forward – A Century of Modern Highways” was produced in celebration of the Maryland Highway Centennial. The program was a collaborative effort between the Maryland State Highway Administration and Maryland Public Television. The 90-minute original production has been divided into shorter segments for easier internet viewing. The Golden Years chapters (2) show the history of the first 50 years of Maryland road building 1908 – 1958.