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I-95: The Road Most Traveled Interstate 95 may be one of the least romantic roads ever built. But what it lacks in beauty, it makes up for in utility. How has this asphalt Amazon transformed the economy of the Eastern Seaboard?
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I-95: The Road Most Traveled

How has this asphalt Amazon transformed the economy of the Eastern Seaboard?
That's No Rest Stop, It's A 'Travel Plaza'

The sparkling new Delaware Travel Plaza. Courtesy HMS Host hide caption

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Courtesy HMS Host

That's No Rest Stop, It's A 'Travel Plaza'

The Delaware Travel Plaza was never so classy. It just reopened, and now the 42,000-square-foot roadside stopover may just be worth an extended stay.

That's No Rest Stop, It's A 'Travel Plaza'

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Northernmost Maine? I-95 Won't Get You There

State legislator John Martin advises people in northern Maine to drive down the middle of the road at night so they have a little more time to react to moose crossings. Carl D. Walsh For NPR hide caption

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Carl D. Walsh For NPR

Northernmost Maine? I-95 Won't Get You There

Past the very northern end of Interstate 95, traffic dwindles to just a few thousand cars a day. Past that, there's no sign of the highway residents were promised more than 60 years ago.

Northernmost Maine? I-95 Won't Get You There

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Paying A Local Price For I-95's Global Promise

Ray McNair rests under I-95 in Overtown, a historic black neighborhood in Miami that was nearly wiped out during the construction of the interstate. Tom Ervin For NPR hide caption

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Tom Ervin For NPR

Paying A Local Price For I-95's Global Promise

Interstates changed the way we think about cities. The highways helped create the suburbs, the megalopolis and the 90-minute commute.  In return, Interstate 95 demanded sacrifices that changed some communities forever.

Paying A Local Price For I-95's Global Promise

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It's The Heart That Keeps I-95's Economy Pumping

Some call the Port of Savannah "The Quiet Giant."  About 80 percent of the freight unloaded at the Port will travel on I-95 for at least some part of the journey to retail stores across the country. Courtesy Port of Savannah hide caption

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Courtesy Port of Savannah

It's The Heart That Keeps I-95's Economy Pumping

Just a small part of I-95 runs through Georgia, but it's a vital part of a pipeline that hauls goods to and from the Port of Savannah. Some call the port "The Quiet Giant," and its economic impact is enormous.

It's The Heart That Keeps I-95's Economy Pumping

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At Last, I-95's Missing Link Hits The Road

A bridge overlooks where I-95 crosses the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Joel Rose/NPR hide caption

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Joel Rose/NPR

At Last, I-95's Missing Link Hits The Road

Interstate 95 stretches nearly 2,000 miles, an unbroken ribbon of highway from the top of Maine to the southern tip of Florida -- with one big exception. Finally, after 25 years in bureaucratic limbo, work on the final 12-mile stretch is set to begin.

At Last, I-95's Missing Link Hits The Road

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Starting A Journey On I-95, The Road Most Traveled

A stretch of I-95 near the Newark Airport in New Jersey. Timothy Bell For NPR hide caption

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Timothy Bell For NPR

Starting A Journey On I-95, The Road Most Traveled

All along the Eastern Seaboard, Interstate 95 has helped shape the daily lives and vacation dreams of the roughly 100 million people who reside alongside it. In the series "I-95: The Road Most Traveled," NPR takes a closer look at this great river of traffic.

Starting A Journey On I-95, The Road Most Traveled

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