Cummins __. Turbo Diesel A combination built and designed with ~ Mining in mind. ~ More torque, more horsepower! Simply put, "More Truck!" It's hard to compare _ when there’s nothing to compare it to... except another Dodge. “Test one today at TERRACE CHRYSLER OK] 4916 Hwy 16 West, Terrace phone 635-7187 DL#5019 SOUTH TO ALASKA Road concepts are still hatching from both directions while the mining industry is having second thoughts about what it wants to haul out of the Iskut River valley. . Rapid progress was made last year on an indus- trial road to connect three mine sites to Highway 37 north, The initial stage of the government-financed route was pushed through from Bob Quinn Lake to the confluence of the Iskut River and Volcano Creek. The road was originally conceived in 1990 for serviec- ing three impending mine developments: Johnny Mountain, Snip and Eskay Creek. Prime Resources, the exploration company at Eskay, was to be respon- sible for maintaining and regulating the road. Since then, however, Johnny Mountain has folded up due to poor ore grades, Eskay Creek is in the throes of a full feasibility study after Placer Dome tried unsuccessfully to pull out, and Cominco seems content with its air and hovercraft transport system at Snip, the one mine that has actually gone into production. Although the gold fever has cooled off in the Iskut valley, the Alaskans — or at least some of their politicians — are still pushing for an alternative land route out of the valley, The Bradfield Canal route. The Jan, 23, 1992, Wrangell Sentinel says offi- cials of the Alaska Department of Transportation have requested $1 million to conduct a feasibility study on the proposed read, which would approach the Iskut Valley over a high pass from the south- west, following the Craig River into the mining area. The officials believe opening the Iskut valley up for timber extraction holds the most potential traffic for the road. The Sentinel cites transport official Mike Hum- mel as saying the response to the idea from B.C. officials was “less than overwhelming". Project cost is estimated between $30-60 million and Hummel believes it could be finished by 1998. Transportation and mine-servicing companies in northwestern B.C. have been concerned over the past decade because a significant volume of the Iskut Valley mine business has been secured by Alaskan businesses from Wrangell and other panhandle communities. B.C. Mining Week !Terrace Review —~ February 28, 1992 sate Ta oe: eer Se ST .