49 new US roads deemed scenic by feds amid rising interest in road trips

The Federal Highway Administration announced on Tuesday that 49 roads have earned new designations.

Fifteen roads were designated as All-American Roads and 34 were designated as National Scenic Byways under the America’s Byways collection, the announcement said.

“Through their many unique qualities, each of these new additions to the National Scenic Byways program helps America’s roads tell our national story,” said FHWA Executive Director Tom Everett. “These special routes offer travelers exciting new opportunities to explore the nation, from coast to coast or close to home.”

The pandemic has pushed many Americans who are traveling to take road trips rather than fly.

The FHA nominated 63 roads for the new designations and the nominations were based on a road’s historic preservation, design, cultural resources and visual impacts. 

Scenic America, an organization dedicated to “preserving and enhancing the visual character and scenic beauty of America,” said in its celebratory announcement that these are the first new road designations since 2009.

New designations were put together by the U.S. Transportation Secretary after the “Reviving America’s Scenic Byways Act of 2019” was passed. 

“With funding now flowing into the program for the first time since 2012, we hope that FHWA will consider applications on a rolling basis in the future,” a spokesperson for Scenic America said.