Copper River Current

PIONEER ACCESS ROADS

Several years ago a Kodiak businessman, driving across frozen Island Lake on his way home from town, crashed through the ice surface. He and his passenger escaped without injury, although they suffered a cold dip in the icy water, and the pick-up truck was later rescued.

That summer, a family loaded all their belongings onto a river barge to cross the swift Kenai River to reach land they were intending to build a homestead on, and suffered a similar fate when the barge was swept out of control and the cargo dumped midstream. A dramatic rescue followed this event, but equipment, a house trailer as well as most personal possessions were lost to the rampaging river.

But incidents such as these are being eliminated by construction of roads to previously inaccessible areas throughout Alaska. And one of the most important activities along this line is the Pioneer Access Road program administered by the Department of Highways with funds allotted from the Department of Natural Resources. Both of these state agencies cooperate in determination of feasibility and practicability of roads requested under this program.

The State Legislature in 1959 enacted a law (Ch. 47) "to facilitate the commercial utilization of the natural resources of this state by authorizing the expenditure of funds to construct roads into and within areas rich in mineral resources which are presently inaccessible."

In an amendment the next session (Ch. 154) the legislature expanded the authority to include relocation or repair or as many miles of pioneering access roads as possible.

The roads were cont. page 3
Pioneer Roads contd.

Described as "rudimentary truck roads not usually fit for passenger automobile use and not necessarily subject to repair, upkeep, or seasonal maintenance."

Generally, this class road does not qualify for inclusion in the Federal-aid highway system.

Since the pioneer access road program was commenced, the Department of Highways has noted considerable progress. During the 1960-61 construction season, 134 miles were built at a cost of $695,000. An additional $174,000 was expended in upgrading this mileage in 1962, when the commissioners of the two departments determined improvement was necessary to bring the roads up to a higher standard. Also, this year, there were 31 miles of road completed at a cost of $94,000 and 60 additional miles underway for a cost of $484,000. The department currently has $79,000 allotted for four projects consisting of 58 more miles.

Funds for this program are appropriated each year by the legislature. To date a total of $1,580,000 has been appropriated during the past three years.

When a citizen, or group of citizens requests that a road be built in a specific area, a study is made to determine the need for the road and whether it meets the qualifications set forth in the Laws of Alaska for inclusion in the pioneer access road program. If it is determined necessary and qualifies for funds, a request for an allotment from the Department of Natural Resources is made.

As soon as this authority for expenditure is issued the Department of Highways begins a rough survey and calls for bids from equipment owners to construct the new road. The law does not provide money for detailed engineering plans and specifications for these "low standard" roads. When the equipment is inspected and approved the workers—mostly local people with their own equipment—begin construction and build as much road as funds permit. A project construction supervisor is responsible to the District Highway Engineer for the work.

Pioneer roads have been built in almost every part of the state primarily in heavy farming or prospective farming areas and regions of rich mineral deposit. Included in this list are the completed 15-mile Funny River Road, which eliminated the unsuitable barge crossing of the Kenai River and allowed year-around access to active farm and ranch country, others on the Kenai Peninsula, in the Matanuska and Tanana valleys and like agricultural areas.

Currently underway are such projects as the Teller-Lost River road, the scene of a "stampede" of prospectors staking claims last spring after a discovery of beryllium in the area. Beryllium, a rare and important element, is used in atomic energy research, high temperature ceramics and in the production of copper-beryllium alloys. The Eureka road, on which construction was started this fall, will connect another active mining area to the Elliott Highway thereby providing cheaper transportation and increased production of important ores.

Construction also has begun on the Island Lake Road to connect the lake's north shore with the city of Kodiak—scene of the sinking commercial dredge earlier in the article—and will be completed this year. Settlers no longer need to depend on boats in the summer and the strength of the ice in the winter to provide access.

Lee Hubbard, state secondary roads engineer, believes the pioneer access road program is providing a service within the limitation of available funds that no other public agency is able to do. The demand for a regular cross-country service road maintenance and so on is still great.