By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
KANORADO - With traffic constantly passing behind him on Interstate 70 near Kanorado Thursday, Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, talked about the 50th anniversary of the completion of I-70 in Kansas.
"I-70 is our connection to the world," Billinger told the audience gathered at the Kanorado weigh station. "It's an economic lifeline for Kansas."
Thursday's celebration near the Kansas/Colorado state line included the unveiling of a replica of signs located on eastbound I-70 highlighting the June 17, 1970 completion.
Billinger grew up near I-70 in Quinter.
"I remember as a kid when they started the construction and they put the overpass over the interstate there in Park," he said.
As his family drove on completed sections of the new road, "all of a sudden we'd be back on two-lane, switch back and forth," Billinger recalled.
"I know how appreciative everyone was when the final piece of I-70 (in Kansas) was completed and opened up."
Kansas opened the first section of interstate in the nation on I-70 just west of Topeka on November 14, 1956.
The interstate system was created when the Federal-Aid Highway Act was signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, an Abilene native and former World War II general, on June 29, 1956.
His youngest granddaughter, Mary Eisenhower, 64, also attended the ceremony.
Eisenhower joked about the fact that her famous grandfather had a pilot's license, but no driver's license until he left the presidency in 1961 and retired to his farm outside Gettysburg, Penn.
"As a military man he didn't need it and as president he had Secret Service," Eisenhower explained.
The former president eventually did get his driver's license and a car, "but unfortunately, there was still a little bit of military lead left in his foot."
Eisenhower was stopped for speeding numerous times by the Gettysburg police but was as a well-known citizen was given just a warning, his granddaughter said.
"Finally, I remember, the chief of police came to the farm one day for a little visit.
"He and Granddad had a Coke, sat down and chatted. The conclusion of this conversation was that Granddad needed to find a different hobby," Eisenhower said with a smile.
Eisenhower grew up on her grandfather's estate in Pennsylvania which is now designated as Eisenhower National Historic Site.
Kansas has a total of 875 miles of interstate, which carries 24.6% of all travel in the state.
Interstate 70 stretches a total of 2,151 miles between Maryland and Utah.
Also attending the event were Kansas Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz and Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Secretary Brad Loveless.
The ceremony can be viewed on the KDOT YouTube channel.