Look at the map of the Cumberland Road. Map of the Cumberland Road. Why was the construction of the Cumberland Road in 1818 controversial? Many people believed the Cumberland Road would draw industry away from the North to the southern states. Many Americans believed the Cumberland Road was not needed to promote settlement in the Northwest Territory. Some people thought it was unfair to use federal money to build a road that would only benefit a small number of Americans. Opponents feared the Cumberland Road would destroy the economies of towns along the Potomac and Ohio rivers.