A Transantipolar Highway, Hurrah!

[khaosworks]

US building highway to the South Pole

American engineers in the Antarctic have begun work on a highway from the giant US coastal base at McMurdo Sound to the South Pole - a distance of 1600 kilometres.

In the next few weeks the ice road should have crossed the wide expanse of the Ross ice shelf, which permanently covers the ocean, and be approaching the Transantarctic Mountains. The mountains mark the halfway point to the Pole.

The road is expected to reach the US Scott-Amundsen base at the pole within two years, according to Bill Spindler, a scientist at the base and editor of South Pole News.

An initial purpose for the highway will be to help lay a $250-million fibre-optic cable to the Scott-Amundsen base. The cable, which should be completed within five years, will revolutionise communications at the Pole.

The Scott-Amundsen base is home to a growing amount of scientific equipment. But it is out of sight of most geostationary communications satellites, so it cannot reliably send back real-time data to the laboratories in the US that use the equipment. The cable would solve that problem.

So, when do the Cracker Barrels move in?

Comments

[jost.livejournal.com]

Dude, don't diss on the Barrel! They make some tasty chicken & dumplings and their chicken-fried steak is mighty good.

[dietbubba.livejournal.com]

Preach on brother.

[khaosworks.livejournal.com]

Whoa now, I ain't dissin' on the Barrel. I was just makin' a funny about highway chain restaurants. Next time I'm in town we'll take in a lunch at a local Cracker Barrel, how about that?

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

Of course, if you don't eat meat, there are roughly 2 things on the Cracker Barrel menu you can order.

[swisscheesed.livejournal.com]

OOH you just reminded me. SNOW PRETZELS!