The Seward gateway., 1921-02-18
'ku|A|lR|uER
 HIGHWAY IS { ... ;. ASSURED FACT
c. W. Cheatham, Senior Highway En- Rineer of Bureau of Public Roads Very Optimistie-Kenai Population Express Appreciation.

Express Appreciation.
 c. W. Cheatham, Senior Highway Engineer of the Bureau of Public Roads in Alaska in comany with A.
 M. Myers Division Engineer in charge of the Seward-Kenai construction i work returned recently from an in- ] spectioa trip which took them as far
 as the lower lake. MT. Cheatham re- turned to Ketchikan on the s. s. Ala meda. Before leaving he was inter viewed by . representative of the Sew
 ard Gateway relative to the future outlook for the early completion of the Kenai River Highway and the ap- ! proximate amount of work that would be done this spring and summer. He is highly optimistic over the future outlook for the country lying betweer Seward and eKnai and is confident
 that the appropriation made this year by Congress will be sufficient to war rant the employing of more than 15(
 men on the two projects now under construction, the Seward-Kenai Lakc and the uQartz Creek Russian River roads.
 "The people of Seward and vicinity are generally unfamiliar with the work now being done on the Kena, River highway" said MT. Cheatham, "The Bureau of Public Roads has dur ing the past year surveyed and de veloped many miles of what will event ua'ly be first class wagon and auto mobile road from the town of Seward 70 the town of Kenai. The average man and woman in Alaska knows lit- t'e'or nothing about the Bureau of Public roads or the work that is being done. Most of the people in the Ter ritory are under the impression that the Alaska Road Commission builds all the roads and trails in Alaska. This is entirely wrong. The Bureau of Public Roads and the Alaska Road Commission are entirely separate or, ganizations. The former is under the supervision of the department of Az .riculture while the latter is under the
 War Department. Both of these ors
 ganizations are doing splendid work
 In Alaska. We expect this year that
 the appropriation by Congress for road
 work to- be done by the Bureau of Public Roads in the United States and
 Alaska will be $10,000,00O. Of this
 amount there will be available for
 roads and trails in Alaska approN-
 mately $575,O00 for each year begin
 ming with the fiscal year ending on
 June 3oth, 1922 and ending with the
 fiscal year ending June 30, 1881.
 $S75, 900 of this sum will be utilized
 by the Bureau of Public Roads for trails and roads which are now used
 or which may be used for carrying mail. This fund is known as the Post Road Fund. The balance of $200, 900
 is the Forestry fund; which will be used on the roads and trails adjacent to the National Forests. The work we
 have done during the past year on hte
 Kenai River Highway has shortened the mail service between Seward and Kenaf four days and when the work is completed will enable the people of Kenai to have a semi-monthly mail service The people who live in Sew ard and Kenaf and along the right of way of the new highway are entitled to . good road and the future develop ment of the eKnai Peninsula justifies the Bureau in building . good high- way. I win make immediate arrange ments when I reach Ketchilan, for the shiping of caterpillar tractors and modern road building machinery to Seward, which win be used this spring and summer on the Kenai River High 'vay. We will probably employ as
 many as< 1s0 men just as soon as the season permits- The bridge over the Renal River ,at Schooner Bend Is |.-apidly nearing completion and
 should ibs entirely ffnished and open for traffic by the 18th Of March. The bridge :is $50 feet long and contains .hree seventy feet trusses and . pil- ipg approach on eaeh .sides h my upnion ths completion of the Kenai Ritss sHiS hwy win maserially bene- lit the town Of Seward. I will. return here from time to tine during the lcoming season so,as- to-keep in per. lsonai touch viii the work" E l. M.s Myers, Divisional Engiheer.