Page:America's Highways 1776–1976.djvu/541

 Moving freight along the highway near the Alaska-Yukon border was a hazardous operation in the summer of 1943. The ditch on the left was the original pioneer road.

In retrospect, the first year was one of many problems of logistics, establishment and reestablishment of policy, inconsistencies, and conflict, but also, it was a year in which a spirit of full cooperation and dedication developed in all workers on the job, regardless of status. A truck trail of sorts was built, much of it improved to a usable, all-weather standard, and the construction of a highway in 1943 was made a possibility.

The road, as it evolved at the end of 1943, was constructed almost entirely in that year. However, the original road, resulting from the 1942 effort, must be given full credit for its contribution to the final effort in communication and transport.

The directive changing the standards and alinement caused a substantial shift in emphasis of the 1943 work of the contractors under the direction of Public Roads. As a result, the final road contained a considerable length of indirect mileage, excessively steep grades and substandard alinement. This was an outgrowth of the fact that the original road had been constructed to a large degree along the lines of least resistance, with no appreciable thought given at that time to locating it as a permanent, all-weather, and reasonably safe facility.

The completed Alaska Highway as it appeared at Summit Lake in the Rocky Mountains in 1943.

The spring breakup during May destroyed a large number of temporary bridges south of Watson Lake, but stockpiled materials enabled rapid replacement. Although this was a temporary setback, over all progress on the project was maintained by a work force 535