Edward Jr. attended Lansingburgh High School and furthered his education at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (the oldest private engineering and technical university in the USA) from which he graduated.

Hughes joined the New York State Department of Public Works in 1925 as a junior civil engineer in the Bureau of Bridges and Grade Crossings in the main office at Albany.

In 1952, Hughes became Deputy Superintendent of New York State Department of Public Works, a post he served continuously until Governor Nelson Rockefeller assigned him the newly created position of Executive Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Department of Transportation in 1967.

In 1942, during WWII, Hughes served as a captain assigned to the Division of the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in Baltimore.

He returned to state service in 1945 and resumed his post as Assistant Director of the Rights of Way and Claims Bureau.

In 1953, at the New York State Conference of Mayors and Other Municipal Officials, Hughes gave his ‘Good Roads for All’ speech, the title of which became associated with him.

[9] In 1962, as representatives of the Department of Public Works, J. Burch McMorran and Hughes accompanied Governor Nelson Rockefeller on a tour of the Niagara Frontier for a series of inspections and dedication ceremonies involving, power, bridge, arterial and park facilities.

[10] The trip included the dedication ceremony of the new South Grand Island Bridge, which was part of the Niagara Power Project.

[15] During his long career, Hughes served alongside 7 Governors of New York: Al Smith (1925-1928), Franklin D. Roosevelt (1929-1932), Herbert H. Lehman (1933-3/12/1942), Charles Poletti (3/12/1942-31/12/1942, Thomas E. Dewey (1943-1954), W. Averell Harriman (1955-1958), and Nelson Rockefeller (1959-1969).

During Hughes' time as Acting Commissioner some of the works he introduced and proposed included a 60-mile-an-hour speed limit on Route 20,[16] proposed the reconstruction of 4.2 miles of the Shore Airport Road (County Route 43) in the village and town of Ticonderoga, Essex County,[17] and announced the proposal of the construction of 2.66 miles of the Susquehanna Expressway, to be known as Interstate Route 88, plus allied connector roads at Oneonta in Otsego county,[18] Hughes was a member of the University Club of Albany and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

[22] For most of their married life the couple resided in Delmar at 26 Wiltshire Drive, Albany County, New York, 12054.

It as named in honor of Hughes, who retired in 1970 as Executive Deputy Commissioner after 45 years of Department service.