The Daily Alaska empire., 1949-12-23
NEW ROADS OPENED BY
 COMMISSION

Two important highway projects, both of which open the Kenai Pen insula to traffic, were begun this year by the Alaska Road Com mission, it was announced today by Col. John Moves, highway com missioner, in reviewing the com missions activities for 1949.
 A 150-mile stretch of highway in Mt. Mckinley National Park, to take several years of work, will be- gin next summer, he said. Other new roads, mostly around the rail belt, will open up farming and in- dustrial areas, and are being ex- tended yearly to serve the needs of settlers.
 Most vital of the Kenai roads is a 71-mile lap known as the Turn again Arm Road, to connect Sew ard with the main highway sys- tenn at Anchorage. Colonel Moves declared the road will rival the Columbia River Highway and the Fraser River road in scenic beauty and will be a cooperative venture by the commission, the Bureau of Public Roads and the Alaska Rail road Construction will be com pleted in 1851, he said.
 The new Sterling road, extend ing l20 miles down the west side of the peninsula, is now open and will be completed next summer
 Another new road is being built northward from the Alaska High way to the gold mining district along the Fortymile River and Eagle This road has almost reach ed Jack Wade, where connection will be made to a road to connect with Dawson, Y. T. Total length will be 110 miles.
 Paving Completed One hundred and forty eight mill es of roads extending eastward from Anchorage and Fairbanks were paved this past season, Col onel Moves said Another 150 miles are now under contract, and will be completed in 1850. He said that eventually all through roads in the Territory will be paved, program , to cost some $45,000,000 and par tially dependent upon funds not yet appropriated.
 Winter maintenance is a serious problem in Alaska" the ColoneI said. "The main mountain passes between Valdez and Fairbanks have never been kept open in winter be- fore this year.
 This winter, however. it is plan- ned experimentally to attempt t6 keep open the Thompson Pas through the coastal range, 25 miles north of Valdez, so this south coast port may be used to move supplies north.'
 Other winter maintenance i.1voiv- es secondary roads, so that school buses may operate.
 Extension and improvement of roads, future work planned under six-year program and revised an- nually, takes in surveys completed last season for a route eastward from Fairbanks to the Cinema Hot Springs; from Fairbanks to Me- mana, reconstruction of the road from Nome to Solomon, and from Golovin to White Mountain and from Cordoya to Chitina.
 Annette Connection
 Planned for this winter is a survey of a road and short car ferry to connect Ketchikan with Annette Island airfield," the Colonel pointed out Construction of any of these roads depends on future appropriation of funds.
 Improvement of Canadian roads connected with the Territory high way system is hoped to keep pace with work here, Colonel Moves said.
 Of great interest here is the pro- posal to extend the road from Haz- elton, B. C., to Prince Rupert, con- meeting now with Seattle, and con- nection of the Canadian port with John Hart Highway to it may be reached from Alaska.
 The car ferry proposal from Prince Rupert through Southeast Alaska, the final step in this pro- posal, is still in the planning stage pending work on the Canadian roads, the Colonel said.