The Cordova daily times., 1923-03-23
WORK BE DONE KATALLA ROAD
 THIS SUMMER

wrote the 1OllOWluS leIIeI Io DoA0S"'S Dan Sutherland on February, re the building of a wagon road from katalla to Mile 39 on the Copper River rail- way, copy of which the delegate sent to the Cordova Chamber of Commerce:
 Preference is made to your inquiry regarding the application made by cltl- zens of Cordova for the construction of forest highway from Mile 39 on the Copper River and Northwestern Railroad to Katalla.
 "When I was in Cordova July "A, 1922 I met at the Chamber ot Con- merce a delegation interested in the road to which you refer. Among those present were MT. Hazelet, MT. Joslyn' MT. Medley, MT. Adams, MT. Foster' MT. Donohoe, Mr. Galen, and others.
 "This delegation specifically re- ouested the construction of two- n1ank-tread road between Mile 59 and Katalla oil field, distance or 70 miles. The type of road suggested was ties about every feet and two 12 inch by 4 inch blanks wide for each tread. They estimated it would cost s1OO5O a mile District Engineer Cheatham of the Bureau Of Pupllc Roads. who accompanied me, believed their estimate too low. The first 2l miles of the distance would be across the flats at the mouth of the rlVer through country offering neither ton mage, opportunities for tonnage devel- opment nor opportunities for settle ment. The route suggested followed d road survey made some years ago.
 CT advised the delegation that my immediate impression was that the o1 mile line of road across the flats was properly railroad proposition TOT primary commercial transportation m- stead of a public highway. However, I said that if they would submit thelr annlication the Forest Service would be very willing to give it careful con- sideration.
 s"Tbis was done and later in the year . detailed examination was made by IT. s. Engineer J. B. Reher or tue Pureau of Public Roads, Assistant us trict Forester M. l.. Merritt, and For- oet Supervisor w. J. Mcdonald. As result of this examination both MT Richer and the District Forester agreed in disapproving the class of road anu tho route originally recommended by inc petitioners Instead MT. Rener Has located a route upon which IL IS pe- 1ieyed a road may be constructed at no greater cost than the kind ol roau proposed by the petitioners WHICH road would be a permanent dlrt roao executing for such sections as Ill any event would require piling and bridge work. The distance from Mile o9 'o Katalla would be 331a miles. The es- timated cost of construction s44o'ooo'
 "No such sum of money could pc fairly allocated to single proJec' such as this for a great many years +o come. However, the District For- ester and District Engineer of the Bu- reau of Public Roads have worked out a n1an which I feel will give the peo- nle of Katalla a considerable measure of relief at a much earlier date than could possibly be secured by construc- tion from Mile 39. Their plan involves inc construction of a road from ha- ta11a to the head of Softuk Bay, a dis tance of miles, at cost or approAl- matelv s36OO0 The resurfaclng or 41h miles of road already constructed between Katalla and Oil Well and the improvement of 91a miles of road bullt by a private company in 1908 be- tween Oil We'll and Chilkat included the reconstruction of bridges, Widen- ing the road, ditching, and surtaclng of about miles. The improvement or this fl miles of road it is estimated will cost an additional $1S,OO0, mak- ing a total cost for satisfactory con- nections from Chilkat to Softuk Bay, or Old Camp 8, of $54,0OO. The total distance of IS miles will be along the same line of road that would be util- ized in the requested construction of Mile 39. The important point, how ever, at the present time is that the improvement of these sections of road will give Chilkat and Katalla, to- gether with the oil and coal operations of that region, an outlet at Softuk Bay which connects with the inside pass age, which passage can be used dur ing heavy weather when it would be impossible to cross the bar at Ka- talla. The Forest officers believe that with this improvement the remainder of the route to Mile 39 would be used only at emergency times. Whether or not they are correct in this con- clusion is not material at this time,.