Part 3/10:
Before embarking on the Dalton, explorers make a crucial pit stop 9 miles north of Fairbanks, where the vital Trans-Alaska Pipeline can be viewed up close. This engineering marvel stretches over 800 miles from the Arctic Ocean to the ice-free port of Valdez and offers a glimpse into its innovative construction, implemented to maintain the permafrost and ensure stability for the pipeline’s operation.
Travelers witness the ingenuity behind the pipeline's design, including fin-like heat pipes meant to stabilize the permafrost. Aside from an engineering lesson, the pipeline’s presence is a constant reminder of the resource trade that necessitated the road's construction.