b'C H A P T E R 5I N V E N T I N G T H E T E S T I N G S T A T I O NBy early 1953 a more comprehensive Johnston, however firm his privateapproach to road planning was evident. demeanor during negotiations, oftenThe IDO was getting ready to open a emphasized more harmonic chords innew reactor complex at the northern public. We have here in our westernedge of the Site. State and federal road country, he would say, a projectauthorities prepared to extend a new which is destined to bring to life someroad west from Rexburg towards the of the great things that the atomic ageTerreton and Mud Lake area, as well as holds for the world. 31make other improvements to the con-nections from the Site to Arco, IdahoFalls, and Blackfoot. 28Although anticipating new roads, theIDO decided early that it would busemployees to the Site from surroundingtowns. Considering the thousands ofemployees on the wayand the narrowcondition even of new roadsit was thesafest alternative. Bus service beganearly and continued, the fare always setso low that most employees would findthe buses far more attractive than car-pooling. Although Johnston had passedalong to the engineers the rancherswarning about snow drifts, the message Right. Governor C.A. Robins. Below. On October 8,was lost. During the first winter of the 1951, the road linking Idaho Falls to the Site wasnew road, drifting snow closed it, forcing officially opened, ending long months ofemployees to go the long way once negotiations.r Idaho State Historical Society G2-20.28827 Box 5 mo e. 29 Thus, the first transactions between theAEC and the State of Idaho involvedlong haggles over who would pay thecost of infrastructure. The accommoda-tion from Boise was reserved, perhapsunavoidably stinting. Equally, the AEC made clear that it intended to avoid asmuch off-site expense as possible, andnot only for roads. Asked if the A E Ccould help impacted school districtscope with rapidly rising enrollments,the answer was an unequivocal No. 30 Idaho State Historical Society MS326 Box 54 3'