Answer:
What made the Cumberland Road unique from other routes was that it was constructed with federal funds. It was also the first macadam route in America.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cumberland Road was the first interstate in the United States, which was built from the money of the federal government. The road, about 1000 km long, connected the Potomac River and Ohio, while being the route to the West for thousands of settlers. When the road was rebuilt in the 1830s, "Cumberland Road" was the first American road covered in macadam.
Construction of the road began in 1811 in the city of Cumberland (Maryland), at the height of the Potomac River. The route was directed west. It crossed the Allegheny mountain range and southwestern Pennsylvania, reaching the city of Wheeling (West Virginia) on the Ohio River in 1818. Later the road reached the states of Ohio and Indiana. The plans were to develop a route through Saint Louis, at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, and to Jefferson City up the Missouri River. However, in 1837, due to the financial crisis (panic of 1837), construction was stopped and it stopped in the city of Vandalia (Illinois). Finally, the works were completed in 1839.