BEAUfO^"^ 



CHUKCHI 

 SEA 



SEA 



"^ 1 



FAIRBANKS 



il»^^ 



^VV 



.'. .5 *r^-' 



'S3o WILf^ 



DAWSON 

 ^^•(^ CREEK 



Figure 2-1 7. — The Alaskan Highway. 



As a war measure, the Alaskan Highway was constructed by 

 the United States to provide a safe military route into central 

 Alaska. In 1942 the highway was built from the end of the rail- 

 road at Dawson Creek, British Columbia to Fairbanks, Alaska. 

 The 1,630 miles of highway was rushed to completion in 8 months. 

 Engineering problems of construction on permafrost and in areas 

 of swamps and muskeg were given hasty consideration. The road 

 has been put to heavy use and requires constant maintenance. 

 Soil flow, slumping, icing, and buckling are only a few of the road 

 troubles which clearly indicate that more study is needed in order 

 to assure permanent and safe construction in such northern areas. 



Similar problems exist along the Richardson Highway, leading 

 from the coast into central Alaska, and along the Alaska Railroad 

 from Anchorage to Fairbanks. 



Air travel is the common means of transportation throughout 

 most of the region. Even heavy mining and lumbering equipment 

 is brought in by air, but the costs of such freighting make it pro- 

 hibitive for all but the very large corporations. Passenger travel 

 is probably most frequent by air since overland travel is extremely 

 difficult in summer, due to the swampy soil conditions over much 

 of the region. 



Only by bringing life to the Arctic will the Arctic "come to life." 



59 



