We only managed to build an interstate system via a massive, centralised effort by the federal government to plan out and fund construction of the interstate hi

We only managed to build an interstate system via a massive, centralised effort by the federal government to plan out and fund construction of the interstate highway system. The yellow book (designed by the federal govt) maps extremely closely to what became the final interstate system. The states did the actual building and own the actual land but the federal govt told them where to build, gave them the money, and otherwise forced their hand into the construction. I'm not necessarily saying federal control over all infrastructure is a good thing but it really was in large part due to the federal government that the interstate system actually happened.