National Highway System of the United States of Quentin

The National Highway System of the United States of Quentin (NHS), frequently referred to in the United States of Quentin as the MAX, is a system of controlled-access highways that runs through all 10 of the USQ states, and is connected with Quentinian State Highway Systems and the Federal Inter-City Beltway System. Unlike the ICBS, which curves and makes turns to hit all the major cities in the USQ, the NHS runs indiscriminately through the nation, though it does end up in some cities. Most routes run east to west, but a few run north to south. This indiscriminate route is designed for motorists to be able to stay on the same road for the majority of long trips, and once a destination is close, to then be able to turn off to the ICBS or state highways to reach major cities.

The NHS was first planned in 1881, with industrialist B.T. DuBuis financially and politically backing the creation of such a highway. In 1883 the first bills were passed in Congress, with the DuBuis Transportation Act directing the Department of Infrastructure to begin work on stone paths and trails that could lead travelers across the country. Interest in the project piqued with the invention and commercialization of the automobile in the later part of the next decade, and in 1898 the Motor Transportation Fund Act and the Preliminary National Highway Acts were passed, the former ordering states to increase spending on transportation and start building new roads, and the latter starting what is today the ICBS and NHS.

The NHS is funded and run by the federal government, mainly the Department of Infrastructure, and employees of the department are charged with the NHS' upkeep and maintenance. Unlike most state highways and the ICBS, the NHS is funded by federal taxes, and does not have tolls along the different routes. The busiest highway on the NHS is the NHS-12, which runs from Lindin to the Kumar Area.

Background

The NHS is the result of numerous pieces of federal legislation. The first planning was done in 1881, with industrialist B.T. DuBuis backing the creation of the highway, which he said would promote commerce and economics. In 1883, the first bills were passed on the subject in the nation's Congress, including the DuBuis Transportation Act, which directed the Department of Infrastructure to begin work on numerous trans-national trials. The department began work immediately, however the trails got little use until the commercialization and mass use of the automobile, beginning in the 1880's and spreading in the 1890's.

As a result of this spread, in 1897 the federal government began debate on the matter. Due to the massive size of the nation, methods on how to complete a highway system varied, with a group of Mild RePublicans and Environmentalists in Congress wanting a major highway system that would cover nearly all of the nation, and another group of Fundamentalists and other Environmentalists wanting a smaller system that would only operate for commerce and to major cities and economic hubs. Compromise was reached in 1898 with the Preliminary National Highway Acts, which provided for the NHS to be built, and to cover most of the country, but also for the ICBS to be built, connecting the NHS to major cities and commerce hubs. Additionally, the Motor Transportation Fund Act of 1898 ordering states to build their own highways, which would connect to the NHS and ICBS, and increase spending on transportation.

Addition of Routes

The first NHS route was completed in 1909, 11 years after the passing of the National Highway Acts, and thus it was named NHS-11. The route spanned from the small town of Tripartine, SL, near the then-MTO border, across the nation to Blase Beach in the Kumar Area. After the completion of this route, it was used frequently during the Great Venturian War to transport supplies from the Paladinian front to the Megatridimensional front, and though other networks were planned soon after, none were completed until the end of the war.

After the war, 4 new routes were completed, to extend the system as a whole, however when the Greater Venturian War broke out in the late years of the decade, construction of new highways ceased. The first system constructed after the war was NHS-100 in 1960, which connected NHS-15 to the rest of the system. After that, 6 other routes were constructed, including the newest and shortest route, NHS-102, constructed in 2005 and connecting Daigle, MA with NHS-17.

Overview and Use

The total distance of the NHS is nearly 51,320 miles, 2nd in total distance of the three parts of the overall highway system. The NHS is used by any citizen, and is accessible by numerous entrance ramps across the nation. The Quentinian government also utilizes the NHS more than either of the 2 other systems in times of war, to quickly move supplies from front to front, especially because of the close proximity of past enemies Paladinia and the MTO. This was utilized most recently during the Asperian Roofball Conflict, with troops reinforcing the MTO bordering coming from the west across the highway, and troops from Cardale, North Star, Black Shores, and Fort McCarthy constantly traveling back and forth.

List of National Highways

Listed below are all routes of the National Highway System, along with their lengths, dates founded, and locations where they end.

Name	Length	End Locations	Date Founded
NHS-11	4,987 miles	Tripartine, SL and Blase Beach, KUA	1909
NHS-12	4,780 miles	Lindin, SL and Yadlapaville, KUA	1922
NHS-13	2,920 miles	NHS-14 and BizTown, MLS	1921
NHS-14	3,120 miles	Chichatauke, GA and Point Breake, CA	1920
NHS-15	2,750 miles	NHS-100 and Black Shores, CA	1926
NHS-16	879 miles	Rileighsville, SL and NHS-11	1992
NHS-17	760 miles	NHS-18 and North Star, MA	1971
NHS-18	1,213 miles	NHS-19 and Willsburg, LBI	1964
NHS-19	1,230 miles	NHS-11 and Cherserse, KUA	1985
NHS-100	1,650 miles	NHS-18 and Fort Bigafoot, SL	1960
NHS-101	240 miles	NHS-17 and Shepherdship, MA	1977
NHS-102	106 miles	NHS-17 and Daigle, MA	2005

Planned Additions

Two new additions to the NHS are planned, both north-south routes, to better connect the Brightwater Gulf to the Lankanata Ocean. These two routes are named NHS-103 and NHS-114. NHS-103 is scheduled to be completed by 2023, and NHS-114 is scheduled for 2021.