Final answer:
Travelers enjoy using the National Road due to its historical significance and its role in American transportation history. It represents the early transportation infrastructure and the westward expansion. Today, it is both a functional route and a historic landmark that connects visitors to the nation's past.
Step-by-step explanation:
Travelers today enjoy using the National Road, which is also known as the Cumberland Road, because it is a significant part of American transportation history and represents an early attempt to build a transportation infrastructure in the United States. Constructed beginning in 1811, this road from Maryland to Illinois was one of the first federally funded arteries to the West that facilitated the movement of settlers and farmers.
It became a vital part of the broader transportation revolution, which included not only roads but also canals, turnpikes, and eventually railroads, that helped to expand commerce and mobility.
As one of the earliest national highways, the National Road provided a reliable route that contributed to the westward expansion and economic growth. With the advent of the automobile and the subsequent development of the interstate highway system in the late 1950s, the importance of roads like the National Road grew even further, as they allowed for faster, more efficient travel and shipping across the nation.
Today, the National Road serves not only as a functional route for transportation but also as a historic landmark, offering travelers a tangible connection to early American history and the evolution of travel and commerce in the nation.
It allows visitors to experience a part of the rich legacy of American infrastructure development and to reflect on the progress that has been made in transportation since its construction.