May need to go to Alaska sooner rather than later

[rionapo]

Seems the road is having some trouble with warmer weather:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/24/scien ... wanted=all

[Ford_6L_E350]

Seems like the best roads in the far north are gravel, not asphalt.

But, at least in Alaska, they have been paving the highways to get matching Federal funds. Bureaucrats in Washington DC have decided how roads must be built to get Federal money. Doesn't matter if cheaper construction is better for the area and climate involved, roads must be built to a certain standard. So, we get asphalt roads that frostheave and buckle and heat the permafrost.

The Dalton was a much better road when it was all gravel. Now it is all potholes and frostheaves.

I wonder if Canada has similar issues and that is why parts of the AlCan are in such poor shape.

Mike

[daveb]

I'd like to see non-paved roads kept in wilderness areas. Sure some major roadways might need to be paved but it seems like backroad trails are becoming more and more extinct

[LenS]

Melting the permafrost layer has always been a problem up there.

Dawson City 2003 picture:

[Ford_6L_E350]

That was caused by poor construction techniques. They did learn to keep heat from going down and melting the permafrost.

Mike