title: Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1952
text: # Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1952
  
  The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1952 authorized $550 million for the Interstate Highway System on a 50–50 matching basis, meaning the federal government paid 50% of the cost of building and maintaining the interstate while each individual state paid the balance for interstate roads within their borders.
  
  ## Analysis
  
  These were the first funds authorized specifically for Interstate construction. However, it was a token amount, reflecting the continuing disagreements within the highway community rather than the national importance of the system.
  
  