Hello. I just returned from a trip to Oahu, the island with the city Honolulu, and Pearl Harbor. I did a lot of driving, which included the freeway. I did notice the freeway designation signs were marked “H-1” and “H-201” and so forth. They are not marked “I-40” or “I-10” as in interstate. Obviously the “H” means Hawaii.
By the way, I did visit the USS Arizona memorial. I also drove around the entire island, which only a small part is 4-6 lane freeway. (Check off one more thing on the bucket list!!):dubious:
LINK TO COLUMN: How can there be interstate highways … in Hawaii? - The Straight Dope
Neither are any others. Continental interstate shields don’t have any letter before the number. (They just have “interstate” in tiny letters, the number, and sometimes the state name in more tiny letters.)
They are not “interstate” with the meaning “because they all cross state lines” – several on mainland North America do not. Rather, they’re “Interstate” because their initial funding and still a major part of their purpose is ro implement the National Defense Interstate Highways Act, passed back in the 1950s, with the purpose of creating a network of limited access turnpike speed highways interconnecting the country’s major cities, ports, industrial centers, and military, naval, and air bases… Even today a military convoy has the right of way on any interstate highway, though the occasions it’s used for that purpose are relatively rare.
How did you get around Ka‘ena Point?
Polycarp, amateur historians often make too much of the “National System of Interstate and National Defense Highways” moniker. Throughout the years of congressional debate, military strategists repeatedly testified that they didn’t need any particular routes or geometric specifications, always saying that highways built to promote commerce would also serve their needs. The “Defense” part was only added to the 1956 highway bill as an afterthought in conference committee, and appears to have been of no importance in any of the congressional debate. See Rose, Mark H. Interstate: Express Highway Politics, 1939-1989. University of Tennessee Press, rev. ed. 1990.
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How did you get around Ka‘ena Point?
Obviously, I did not “drive around” the whole island, since there is no road going around the point. We drove up H2 towards Schofield Barracks. Then up 803 to Dillingham Airfield to watch the gliders and wind surfers. Then backtracked to get on the Kamehameha Highway and on around. And yes, we did not go “all the way around” where the Marine Base is. We went throught the tunnel on the Pali Highway, as it was getting late, and the drive took a lot longer than we thought it should. (The best laid plans of mice and men…!!)
Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, joelelan, we’re glad you found us. When you start a thread, it’s helpful to other readers if you provide a link to the column in question – saves searching time, and helps keep us all on the same page. No biggie, you’ll know next time. Meantime, I assume it’s: How can there be interstate highways … in Hawaii? - The Straight Dope