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One of the factoids about Alaska's history that you get as a tourist is "when the road was built and why." It's a bit of trivia that seems mundane, but reflects on the importance of transportation in a state where there aren't detours. If the road goes out, well, you'll be taking a plane or boat instead. Or a 1,000 mile detour, if you're not on a spur. There isn't a lot of "road redundancy" in Alaska.

Compare the core of Alaska's road system to North Carolina (maps are at the same scale).