The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1931-12-26

in Alaska would be 100 miles and
in Yukon rs miles, making 255
miles of new work, but part of the
new work in the Yukon would be
over an old road which can now
be used during good weather. Mac
Donald found that this route is
favorable from a construction view
point; the grades are not excessive,
the highest summit is only 3,700
feet above sea level, soil and drain
age conditions are generally good
and gravel for surfacing is obtain
able. The cost of the Alaska sec
ton of the road is estimated at
$1,750,000 including bridges.
The road passes close to the
Forty Mile mining district which
has in the past produced fairly
large amounts of gold. The ex-
tent of the remaining resources
along the east and west route be-
tween Fairbanks and Dawson is
not known, but indications seem
sufficiently promising to justify in
tensive prospecting which would
be greatly facilitated by the pro
posed road
The second route covered by
MacDonald's reconnaissance leaves
the Richardson Highway at the
same point as the first route and
extends in southeasterly direction
up the Tanana River which is one
of the main tributaries of the Yu-
kon. This route, connecting Fair
banks with Whitehorse, would cross
the international boundary at the
headwaters of the Tanana River,
continue to Kluane Lake and there
connect with the existing road from
the lake to Whitehorse. The total
distance from Fairbanks to White
horse would be about TOO miles of
which $50 miles would be in Alas
ka and $40 miles in Yukon Terri
tory Of this mileage 80 miles
have been constructed in Alaska
and about 122 miles in Yukon Ter
ritory, leaving 488 miles OF new
construction for completing the
connection between Fairbanks and
Whitehorse. The estimated cost of
the Alaska work on this route is
$2,050,000.
Conditions Are Favorable
Conditions for road building are
favorable along this location, among
The advantages being the follow
ing: Good soil conditions with
plenty of gravel for surfaeing;
only moderate clearing required;
only two bridges exceeding SO foot
spans are required; low attitudes
(not over $500 feet above sea
leveD light snowfall and early dis
appearance thereof in the spring;
and convenient transportation =
via the Tanana River-for con-
struction materials and supplies.
This route would not tap any
known mineral resources in Alaska.
1t passes through game and fur
country now supporting few hun
dred natives. Their present only
outlet is the swift and hazardous
Tanana River. Living conditions
in this area are primitive in the
extreme. No reliable detailed in
formation is available as to the re-
sources of the country. The dis
advantages of this route are that
it passes through country which is
not promising for development of
mineral resources and it avoids
Dawson, the capital and largest
town in Yukon Territory.
The third route considered in
MacDonald's report is the Gulkana
Whitehorse route, approximately
$40 miles, which branches off from
he Richardson Highway at point
240 miles south of Fairbanks. 1t
follows a general easterly trend to
the border and then to Kluane
Lake and Whitehorse. A portion
of this road in Alaska is now under
construction for the development
of known mineral resources in the
vicinity of Nabesna and Chisana.
When this project is completed to
Chisana there will remain a gap
of only 80 miles between the end
Of the road and the Yukon boun-
dairy which could be built for about
100000 From the boundary to
Whitehorse the distance is about
27O miles of which the present 122
mile road from Whitehorse to
Kluane Lake would form a part.
Thus new construction needed to
complete this route to Whitehorse
in addition to the project to Chi
sana, now under construction
would be 30 miles in Alaska and
148 miles in Yukon Territory. The
existing project to Chisana has
been completed a distance of 81
miles with clearing and other adj
vance work to mile 70 from Gull
kama.
This route also is favorable from
road building standpoint. There
is an abundance of good grading
material and gravel for surfacing;
the grades are not excessive; the
river crossings are not serious, and
the highest summit is only 5000
feet above sea level.
Mineral Resources Extensive