Why did they build the Klondike Highway to Whitehorse, Y.T.? Skagway was already connected by railroad. They had an airport. They had ferry connections to Haines and points south. The skeptics said it would be prohibitively expensive, an engineering challenge, and dangerous for winter travel. But was it a boondoggle? Would it hurt Skagway’s economy? Would the drive over White Pass really be dangerous? Was not the ferry safer? Or was it all political? And just an ego trip for the engineers? Sound familiar? The folks in Haines and Skagway love being connected by road to the rest of Alaska and so would Juneau. It would put to rest the capital’s accessibility stigma and stop the “move the capital” movement. Completing the road from Juneau would cut travel time in half, costs in half, and allow the flexibility of when you want to go. It would be mutually beneficial. Let’s stop being so hypocritical with our neighbors.
Dave Werner