Page:America's Highways 1776–1976.djvu/537

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  • Furnish a supply route to link up the airfield established in Canada and Alaska by the Canadian Government and the United States Army Air Force.
  • Provide an auxiliary overland route to Alaska, relatively secure from attack by the enemy, to supplement sea and air routes and, thus, provide a measure of safety for the armed forces and aircraft ferrying personnel.[1]

Many previous studies had been made of the most desirable routing to Alaska, but due to the wartime emergency, military considerations became the prime criteria. The project was approved by President Roosevelt on February 11, 1942, with work on the project authorized to begin at once. Final agreement with Canada was reached on March 18, 1942.

The Alaska Highway stretches from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, to Fairbanks, Alaska.

The work to be performed by the United States would begin at Dawson Creek, British Columbia, and

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  1. The Alaska Highway, H. Rep. 1705, 79th Cong., 2d Sess., pp. 9, 10.