Alaska Road Commission facts for kids
The Alaska Road Commission (ARC) was a special group created in 1905. It was part of the U.S. War Department, which usually handles military matters. The ARC's main job was to build and improve many important roads and trails in Alaska. Some of these famous roads include the Richardson Highway, Steese Highway, Elliot Highway, and Edgerton Highway.
Later, in 1932, the ARC moved to the Department of the Interior, which manages public lands. Then, in 1956, it became part of the Bureau of Public Roads, which was under the Commerce Department. Today, the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities is in charge of building and taking care of roads in Alaska.
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Why Alaska Needed Roads
Before the late 1800s, most of Interior Alaska had no roads. There were only trails made by Alaska's native people. Russian and American traders and gold seekers also used these trails. The Russians mostly stayed near the coast and didn't build many new trails or roads. Early mining towns, like Sitka, were also close to the sea.
In the 1870s and 1880s, more people started moving to Alaska and looking for gold. Some settlers worked with native people to improve trails. They even charged a fee to use some trails, like the Dalton Trail.
People who were looking for gold wanted an easier way to travel by land. They needed a route from a port in southern Alaska that was open all year to the Yukon River. The U.S. Army started looking for the best path. They decided the best way was north from Valdez. In 1898, the Army began building a pack trail from Valdez to Eagle.
This project was also called the Trans-Alaska Military Road. In the early 1900s, government groups looked into Alaska's transportation needs. They suggested that the War Department should build a system of trails. They also wanted the Valdez-Eagle trail to be made into a road for wagons. On January 27, 1905, Congress passed a law to create a commission for these improvements. The Alaska Road Commission (ARC) officially started on May 15, 1905.
How the ARC Worked
The Alaska Road Commission had three main members:
- The chairman or president, who was in charge of everything.
- An engineer officer, who managed the work out in the field.
- A secretary and money officer, who handled the office work and paid for projects.
Many of the ARC's leaders were officers from the U.S. Army. The first chairman was Wilds P. Richardson, a Brigadier General. At first, the ARC reported directly to the War Department. But in 1917, they started reporting to the Chief of Engineers, who leads the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
Funding the Road Projects
The ARC was supposed to get money from 70 percent of business license fees outside of towns. But this money wasn't enough or always available. So, the U.S. Congress also gave them money each year, usually between $100,000 and $500,000.
There was also a special tax for people living outside towns. They had to either work for two days building roads or pay $8. In 1912, after Alaska became a territory, this tax changed to $4 for all Alaska residents. This meant that about 60-70% of the ARC's money came from Congress, and 30-40% came from Alaska itself.
In 1914, Alaska's local government tried to set up its own road groups. But this didn't last long. In 1917, they created a Territorial Board of Road Commissioners. This board would approve projects and give money to the ARC to do the work. Sometimes, the head of the local boards was also a superintendent for the ARC.
The ARC also helped the Department of Agriculture maintain roads in the Tongass and Chugach national forests. But in 1922, this job moved to the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Public Roads. This bureau then took over building roads in the forests.
What the ARC Built
The ARC started working quickly. By 1907, they had marked 247 miles of winter trails on the Seward Peninsula. They also built 40 miles of new roads and improved 200 miles of old trails. A big project was building a trail from Gulkana (on the Valdez-Eagle route) to the new mining town of Fairbanks.
By 1922, the ARC had built a lot more. They had 1,101 miles of wagon roads, including 600 miles with gravel surfaces. They also had 756 miles of winter sled roads and 3,721 miles of permanent trails. By 1932, the ARC had built and kept up 1,231 miles of roads, 74 miles of tram roads, and 1,495 miles of sled roads. They also created 4,732 miles of trails, 26 airfields, and 32 shelter cabins. In total, they spent over $18 million.
The ARC didn't really design their early roads for cars or trucks. In 1914, they said they made "no pretense of having built roads adapted for automobile travel." But by 1922, 90% of summer travelers were using motorized vehicles.
Early roads were usually 10 feet wide for light traffic and 16 feet wide for heavier traffic. They were often just graded through the land. In areas with permafrost (ground that is always frozen), they used a method called corduroy road building. This involved laying logs side-by-side. Small streams were crossed with culverts (tunnels for water). At first, larger rivers were crossed by wading or using ferries. But as more money became available, they built bigger bridges. Examples include the 450-foot bridge over the Tazlina River and the 420-foot bridge over the Tonsina River.
Later Years of the ARC
In 1932, the Alaska Road Commission moved to the Department of the Interior. This department started requiring all vehicles in Alaska to register and pay fees. Many drivers didn't follow these rules. Also, commercial vehicles had to pay a toll to use the Richardson Highway.
The Interior Department also ran the Alaska Railroad. To try and get more people to use the railroad, they raised the tolls on the highway. This made the tolls very expensive, between $100 and $175. Truckers didn't like this and found ways to avoid paying. By 1940, there was even an unofficial ferry operating at Big Delta, Alaska, across the Tanana River. This ferry even had a skull and crossbones flag! The government had trouble enforcing the tolls. A local grand jury in Fairbanks refused to charge anyone, saying the tax was unfair. Finally, in 1942, Interior Secretary Harold L. Ickes removed the toll.
The ARC stayed with the Department of the Interior until 1956. Then it became part of the Bureau of Public Roads, which was under the Commerce Department. This bureau later became the Federal Highway Administration. The ARC continued to operate under federal management until 1960.
When Alaska became a state in 1959, the state took over responsibility for building and maintaining roads. At first, the state hired the ARC to do the work. But in 1960, the state ended this agreement. The ARC was then transferred to the state and became the Alaska State Highway Department.
ARC's Lasting Impact
The Alaska Road Commission left a big mark on how Alaska grew. Many of Alaska's most important and historic highways are named after the ARC officers who helped build them.
- Richardson Highway, named for Wilds P. Richardson
- Steese Highway, named for James G. Steese
- Elliott Highway, named for Malcolm Elliott
- Edgerton Highway, named for Glen E. Edgerton
- Taylor Highway, named for ARC President Ike P. Taylor (1932–1948)
You can still see signs of the ARC's work today. For example, some of the shelter cabins they built while creating the Denali Park Road are still used by National Park Service rangers in Denali National Park and Preserve.
Leaders of the ARC
Here is a list of the presidents (leaders) of the Alaska Road Commission:
- 1905-1917 Wilds P. Richardson
- 1917-1920 William H. Waugh
- 1920-1920 John C. Gotwals
- 1920-1927 James G. Steese
- 1927-1932 Malcolm Elliott
- 1932-1948 Ike P. Taylor
- 1948-1951 John R. Noyes
- 1951-1956 Angelo F. Ghiglione
