Are there any manufacturers of steel road bikes today?
Depending on what you consider a "major brand", there really are a lot of nice steel bikes around these days.  If I were going this route, I'd look to some of the brands that focus on the steel frames, rather than complete bikes.  The list below should get you started.  While they aren't the biggest names in the industry, they do have good distribution so you should ask about availability at your local bike shop.  Or order a frame online.  Good luck!


http://www.somafab.com/
http://surlybikes.com/
http://salsacycles.com/
http://gunnarbikes.com/