All highways constructed within the forests are surfaced with gravel or crushed rock on account of the soft subgrade material ordinarily encountered in the Territory and which will not support traffic by wheeled vehicles until protected with some form of metal surface. Gravel-surfaced highways are completed adjacent to all of the larger coast towns. The construction of motor highways from these communities is particularly justified by the greatly increasing number of motor vehicles owned and used by Alaskans, and by the great increase in suburban homes and industrial activities, such as truck farms, dairy farms, fur farms, power sites, and other industries which would not be otherwise accessible. 1 The amounts stated in these columns represent total of vouchers paid this fiscal year, but not in direct ratio with mileage constructed, in that considerable portion of payments made cover obligations incurred in previous fiscal year. TERRITORIAL ROAD COMMISSION The construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, trails, ferries, aviation fields, and shelter cabins in the Territory of Alaska, supported by appropriations by the Territorial legislature, are handled under the direction of the Territorial board of road commissioners. This board consists of the Governor of Alaska as its chairman, the Territorial auditor, the treasurer of Alaska, and the Territorial highway engineer. The work is carried out under the provisions of the Territorial cooperative road act of April 21, 1919, amended May 3, 1923. The Territory is divided into four road districts corresponding to the judicial divisions, in each of which there is a divisional commission consisting of two advisory elected members. Under authority of this act all Territorial road funds were allotted to cooperative projects with the United States Forest Service and the Alaska Road Commission. The Territorial highway engineer acts as consulting engineer on all projects, makes field inspections, and reports the status of the work directly to the Territorial board. Cooperative work with the United States Forest Service was supervised by the district engineer, Bureau of Public Roads. All Territorial funds allotted to cooperative projects with the Alaska Road Commission were supervised by the president of the Alaska Road Commission. The extensive organization and mechanical equipment of the Alaska Road Commission are likewise available for the use of the Territory free, except for fuel and other actual operating costs. The elective members of the respective divisional boards are asked for recommendations for road work in their districts, and such recommendations as received by the Territorial board, as far as possible, either in whole or in part, are carried out by Territorial funds direct or by cooperative funds under the United States Forest Service or the Alaska Road Commission. However, it is obvious that sufficient funds are not available properly to care for all needed road demands, and that available funds must be applied to projects considered of greatest public need. In making distribution the board is guided by such recommendations and petitions as are in its possession and its personal knowledge and judgment of the various projects considered. Under the present policy of cooperation with the Federal roadbuilding agencies, practically all of the Territory's money is applied to necessary local road maintenance, and the major projects are cared for by the Federal Government through the United States Forest Service and the Alaska Road Commission. As a result of cooperation with the Federal road-building organizations in the Territory, through the Territorial road acts of 1919 and 1923, making such cooperation possible, a more constructive distribution of road funds is had, making it possible to prevent duplication of organization and permitting the maintenance of one wellcoordinated organization with sufficient funds at its disposal to do more effective road work for general Territorial development and projection of a comprehensive road system and program in the Territory at large. |