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"On the morning of July 7, 1919, a three-mile caravan of Army motorcycles, cars and trucks, 260 enlisted men, 35 officers, and a 15-piece band set out from Lafayette Square in Washington for Union Square in San Francisco, 3000 miles away. It took 62 days to cross the country..." So begins the description of "Divided Highways," a 90-minute documentary film underwritten for television by Roadway Express. It aired on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) channels throughout the country in the fall of 1997.
"Divided Highways" will explore the often inspiring, sometimes sweeping transformations that took place as the nation moved inexorably from dirt roads and dangerous travel to smooth, fast four-lanes connecting every state.
The construction of the Interstate Highway System permanently altered our country's landscapes. The highways had a major impact on the economic and social fabric of our lives, making long-distance travel safer as well as making possible the vast ground transportation services we depend on today. "Divided Highways" will explore both the minds and the muscle behind the building of the Interstate Highway System in America. It will examine the genius, the courage, and the occasional arrogance of the legislators, contractors, bankers, and working folks who helped build these country-long ribbons of concrete. Modern highway experiences will be combined with rich archival footage examining the highways in construction, the visionaries behind the scenes, and the rise and fall of towns that sprang to life or were bypassed by national highway projects.
"Divided Highways" has been underwritten by Roadway Express for co-producers Florentine Films and WETA-TV (Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association, Inc.), the leading public broadcasting station in the nation's capital. The film is accompanied by a radio series broadcasted on National Public Radio, an internationally distributed book, educational outreach programs, and other events. WETA has been a driving force behind such acclaimed documentary films as Ken Burns' "Baseball" and "The Civil War." Burns himself is serving as creative consultant for this film. As the sole corporate sponsor for the film, Roadway Express will receive national television exposure and advertising on public television for its participation.
"Roadway Express has been both a major beneficiary and a contributor to the Interstate Highway System in this country," notes Ken Olsen, vice president-marketing. "Our trucks are among the most recognizable icons on America's highways. We wanted to be a part of this important documentary."
Author Tom Lewis, co-writer for "Divided Highways," has also been working hard on the project. Viking Press will publish Lewis' book, "Divided Highways: Interstate Highways and the Transformation of American Life," simultaneously with the release of the film. Lewis has worked with Florentine Films since 1977 and has been the recipient of numerous academic fellowships, grants, and honors. Many of the ideas for the film sprang from his work on the book. He is working closely with Hott as scriptwriter and researcher during filming.
"Divided Highways" producers Larry Hott and Diane Garey are veteran documentary filmmakers. Producer/director Hott is a two-time Academy Award nominee. Based in Haydenville, Mass., this husband-and-wife team has been busily working on the project for several years. Shooting and interviewing all over the country have made them more ambitious than ever about the scope of the film. "This isn't just about building roads," says Hott. "This is a subject that really has to do with American life and American culture and who we are as people."
