Map of Alaska Highway (in red)

The Alaska Highway, also the Alaskan Highway, Alaska-Canadian Highway, and the Alcan Highway, runs from Dawson Creek, British Columbia to Fairbanks, Alaska, via Whitehorse, Yukon. Its historical length as of all-weather completion in 1943 is 2,451 kilometers or 1,523 mile(s) long. The historic ending of the highway is near milepost 1422, where it meets the Richardson Highway in Delta Junction, Alaska, about 100 miles (160km) southeast of Fairbanks. Mileposts on the Richardson Highway are numbered from Valdez, Alaska. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2083x2028, 57 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Alaska Highway Pan-American Highway Wikipedia:WikiProject Canada Roads Wikipedia:WikiProject Yukon Territory Roads Template:Yukon Territory Roads... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2083x2028, 57 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Alaska Highway Pan-American Highway Wikipedia:WikiProject Canada Roads Wikipedia:WikiProject Yukon Territory Roads Template:Yukon Territory Roads... For the TV series, see Dawsons Creek. ... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Official languages English de facto (none stated in law) Flower Pacific dogwood Tree Western Redcedar Bird Stellers Jay Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 36 6 Area... Nickname: The Golden Heart City Location Coordinates , Government Country  State   Borough United States  Alaska   Fairbanks North Star Incorporated November 10, 1903 Mayor Steve M. Thompson Geographical characteristics Area     City 84. ... Official language(s) English Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Area  Ranked 1st  - Total 663,267 sq mi (1,717,854 km²)  - Width 808 miles (1,300 km)  - Length 1,479 miles (2,380 km)  - % water 13. ... Template:Hide = Motto: Template:Unhide = Our People, Our Strength Location City Information Established: {{{Established}}} Area: 416. ... Motto: none Official languages English, French Flower Fireweed Tree Subalpine Fir Bird Common Raven Capital Whitehorse Largest city Whitehorse Commissioner Geraldine Van Bibber Premier Dennis Fentie (Yukon Party) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 1 1 Area Total  - Land  - Water  (% of total)  Ranked 9th 482,443 km² 474,391 km... To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 106 and 107 m (1,000 and 10,000 km). ... A mile is the name of a unit of length, usually used to measure distance, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, United States customary units and Norwegian/Swedish mil. ... A milestone A milestone is one of a series of numbered markers placed along a road at regular intervals, typically at the side of the road or in a median. ... The Richardson Highway runs from Valdez, Alaska to Fairbanks, Alaska. ... Delta Junction is a city located in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, USA. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 840. ... Valdez (IPA: ) is a city in Valdez-Cordova Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. ...

Construction

Mile zero in Dawson Creek

Proposals for a highway to Alaska originated in the 1930s, and some adventurous people drove overland along projected routes. Since much of the route would pass through Canada, support from the Canadian government was crucial, but absent. That government perceived no value in putting up the funds required to build a road, since the only part of Canada that would benefit would be the fairly small population in the Yukon, not more than a few thousand people. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (921x1428, 852 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Alaska Highway User:Qyd/Pictures ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (921x1428, 852 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Alaska Highway User:Qyd/Pictures ... For the TV series, see Dawsons Creek. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

However, some route consideration was given. The preferred route would pass through the Rocky Mountain trench from Prince George, British Columbia to Dawson City before turning west to Fairbanks, Alaska. Moraine Lake, and the Valley of the Ten Peaks, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a broad mountain range in western North America. ... These cutbanks on the Nechako River are Prince Georges signature natural landmark. ... The City of Dawson is a town in the Yukon territory of Canada, located at a latitude of 64° 03 45 N and a longitude of 139° 25 50 W. The current population is approximately 2,000. ... Nickname: The Golden Heart City Location Coordinates , Government Country  State   Borough United States  Alaska   Fairbanks North Star Incorporated November 10, 1903 Mayor Steve M. Thompson Geographical characteristics Area     City 84. ...

The needs of war dictated the final route, intended to link the airfields of the Northwest Staging Route that conveyed lend-lease aircraft from the United States to the Soviet Union. Thus, the rather impractical, long route over extremely difficult terrain was chosen. The Northwest Staging Route was a series of airstrips, airports and radio ranging stations built in British Columbia, the Yukon and Alaska during World War II. Airfields were built or upgraded every 100 miles (160 kilometres) from Edmonton, Alberta to Fairbanks, Alaska. ...

The road was originally built mostly by the US Army as a supply route during World War II. There were four main thrusts in building the route: southeast from Delta Junction, Alaska toward a linkup at Beaver Creek, Yukon; north then west from Dawson Creek (an advance group started from Fort Nelson, British Columbia after travelling on winter roads on frozen marshland); both east and west from Whitehorse after being ferried in via the White Pass and Yukon Route railway. The Army commandeered equipment of all kinds, including local riverboats, railway locomotives destined for Iran, and housing originally meant for use in southern California. The eastern linkup occurred at historic Mile 588, known today as Contact Creek. A road ascends a mountainside using hairpin bends in the French Alps. ... United States Army Corps of Engineers logo The United States Army Corps of Engineers, or USACE, is made up of some 34,600 civilian and 650 military men and women. ... Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead... Delta Junction is a city located in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, USA. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 840. ... Beaver Creek is a community in Yukon, Canada. ... Fort Nelson is a town of approximately 5000 residents in British Columbias northeastern corner. ... Template:Hide = Motto: Template:Unhide = Our People, Our Strength Location City Information Established: {{{Established}}} Area: 416. ... The White Pass and Yukon Route (WP&Y, WP&YR) (AAR reporting mark WPY) is a narrow gauge railroad linking the port of Skagway, Alaska with Whitehorse, the capital of Canadas Yukon Territory. ... This article is becoming very long. ...

Although it was completed on October 28, 1942 and its completion was celebrated at Soldier's Summit on that November 21 (and broadcast by radio, the exact outdoor temperature censored due to wartime concerns), the "highway" was not usable by general vehicles until 1943. Even then, there were many steep grades, the surface was poor, there were few or no guardrails, and switchbacks to gain and descend hills. Bridges, which progressed during 1942 from pontoon bridges to temporary log bridges, were replaced with steel bridges where necessary only. One old log bridge can still be seen at the Aishihik river crossing. The easing of the Japanese invasion threat resulted in no more contracts being given to private contractors for upgrading of specific sections. October 28 is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 64 days remaining. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... November 21 is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Highway in Pennsylvania, USA The Pan-American Highway, in the Peruvian town of Máncora, where it serves as the main street. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... A log bridge in the French Alps near Vallorcine. ... Pontoon bridge across the James River at Richmond, Virginia, 1865. ... This footbridge was made of trees from the surrounding forest. ... The Aishihik River, also know as Canyon Creek, is a river in the Yukon Territory of Canada. ...

In particular, some 100 miles of route between Burwash Landing and Koidern, Yukon, became virtually impassable in May and June of 1943, as the permafrost melted, no longer protected by a layer of delicate vegetation. A corduroy road was built to restore the route, and corduroy still underlays old sections of highway in the area. Modern construction methods do not allow the permafrost to melt, either by building a gravel berm on top or replacing the vegetation and soil immediately with gravel. Burwash Landing is a small community, on the Alaska Highway, in the Yukon Territoty, of Canada. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... In geology, permafrost or permafrost soil is a thermal condition where ground material stays at or below 0°C for two or more years. ... Corduroy road A Corduroy road or log road is a type of road made by placing sand-covered logs perpendicular to the direction of the road over a low or swampy area. ... Gravel being unloaded from a barge Gravel is rock that is of a certain grain size range. ...

Post war

Alaska Highway between Fort Nelson and Watson Lake

The original agreement between Canada and the United States regarding construction of the highway stipulated that its Canadian portion be turned over to Canada six months after the end of the war. The Canadian government paid $123,500,000 to the US government for the highway and Northwest Staging Route assets. However, the highway needed considerable reconstruction to make it usable and was only opened to unrestricted traffic in 1947. The Alaska Highway is now completely paved, mostly with Bituminous Surface Treatment. Image File history File links AlaskaHWY.JPG Summary Alaska Highway (somewhere between km550 and 600). ... Image File history File links AlaskaHWY.JPG Summary Alaska Highway (somewhere between km550 and 600). ... The Northwest Staging Route was a series of airstrips, airports and radio ranging stations built in British Columbia, the Yukon and Alaska during World War II. Airfields were built or upgraded every 100 miles (160 kilometres) from Edmonton, Alberta to Fairbanks, Alaska. ... Interstate 80, a freeway in California with many lanes and heavy traffic. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... Pavement in American English refers to the durable surface for an area intended to sustain traffic, which can be either vehicular traffic or foot traffic. ... Pavement in American English refers to the durable surface for an area intended to sustain traffic, which can be either vehicular traffic or foot traffic. ...

The Milepost, an extensive guide book to the Alaska Highway and other highways in Alaska and Northwest Canada, was first published in 1949 and continues to be published annually as the foremost guide to travelling the highway. The Milepost was the first travel-guide detailing the Alaska Highway and remains today the most extensive guide for travellers in Alaska, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and British Columbia. ... Look up book in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Official language(s) English Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Area  Ranked 1st  - Total 663,267 sq mi (1,717,854 km²)  - Width 808 miles (1,300 km)  - Length 1,479 miles (2,380 km)  - % water 13. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... An annual publication, more often called simply an annual, is a book or a magazine, comic book or comic strip published yearly. ... Highway in Pennsylvania, USA The Pan-American Highway, in the Peruvian town of Máncora, where it serves as the main street. ...

The Yukon government owns the highway from Historic Mile 630 to 1016 (from near Watson Lake to Haines Junction), and manages the remainder to the US border. Public Works Canada manages the highway from Mile 630 back to approximately Mile 80. The British Columbia government owns the remainder of the highway south. Watson Lake, Yukon - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... Haines Junction is a village in the Yukon Territory, Canada. ... The Department of Public Works and Government Services, also referred to as Public Works and Government Services Canada, is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for the governments internal servicing and administration. ... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Official languages English de facto (none stated in law) Flower Pacific dogwood Tree Western Redcedar Bird Stellers Jay Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 36 6 Area...

Extensive rerouting in Canada has shortened the highway by approximately 35 miles (55 km) since 1947, mostly by eliminating winding sections and sometimes by bypassing residential areas. Some old sections of the highway are still in use as local roads, while others are left to deteriorate and still others are ploughed up. Four sections form local residential streets in Whitehorse (3) and Fort Nelson (1), and others form country residential roadways outside of Whitehorse. Although Champagne, Yukon was bypassed in 2002, the old highway is still completely in service for that community until a new direct access road is built. Champagne is a small community on the Alaska Highway (historical mile 968, between Whitehorse and Haines Junction) in Canadas Yukon Territory. ...

Rerouting continues even into 2005, with the Haines Junction-Beaver Creek section covered by the Canada-U.S. Shakwak Agreement. Under Shakwak, U.S. federal highway money is spent for work done by Canadian contractors who win tenders issued by the Yukon government. The Shakwak Project completed the Haines Highway upgrades in the 1980s between Haines Junction and the Alaska Panhandle, then funding was stalled by Congress for several years. Beaver Creek is a community in Yukon, Canada. ... The Shakwak Agreement, also known as the Shakwak Project, is a highway construction funding accord between the United States and Canada, reached in 1976. ... The Shakwak Agreement, also known as the Shakwak Project, is a highway construction funding accord between the United States and Canada, reached in 1976. ... The Haines Highway or Haines Cut-Off is a highway that connects Haines, Alaska, in the United States, with Haines Junction, Yukon, Canada, passing through the province of British Columbia. ... The Alaska Panhandle is the coast of the American state of Alaska, just west of the northern half of the Canadian province of British Columbia. ...

The Milepost shows the Canadian section of the highway now to be approximately 1187 miles, but the first milepost inside Alaska is 1222. The actual length of the highway inside Alaska is no longer clear because rerouting, as in Canada, has shortened the route, but unlike Canada, mileposts in Alaska are not recalibrated. The B.C. and Yukon governments and Public Works Canada have recalibrated kilometreposts only as far as a point just west of Champagne, with the latest BC recalibration in 1990 and the only Yukon recalibration in 2002 (based on the distance value where the BC calibration of 1990 left off).

There are historical mileposts along the B.C. and Yukon sections of the highway, installed in 1992, that note 83 specific locations, although the posts no longer represent accurate driving distance.

The portion of the Alaska Highway in Alaska is Alaska Route 2. In the Yukon, it is Highway 1 and in British Columbia, BC provincial highway 97. Motto: none Official languages English, French Flower Fireweed Tree Subalpine Fir Bird Common Raven Capital Whitehorse Largest city Whitehorse Commissioner Geraldine Van Bibber Premier Dennis Fentie (Yukon Party) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 1 1 Area Total  - Land  - Water  (% of total)  Ranked 9th 482,443 km² 474,391 km... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Official languages English de facto (none stated in law) Flower Pacific dogwood Tree Western Redcedar Bird Stellers Jay Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 36 6 Area... British Columbia provincial highway 97 is the longest continuously-numbered route in the province, going for 2,081 km all the way from the Canada/U.S. border in the south to the British Columbia/Yukon border in the north. ...

Route markings

The Canadian section of the road was delineated with mileposts, based on the road as it was in 1947, until 1978, and over the years, reconstruction steadily shortened the distance between some of those mileposts. That year, metric signs were placed on the highway, and the mileposts were replaced with kilometre posts at the approximate locations of a historic mileage of equal value, e.g. Kmpost 1000 was posted approximately where historical Mile 621 would have been posted.

Reconstruction continues to shorten the highway, but the kilometre posts, at two-km intervals, were recalibrated along the B.C. section of road in 1990 to reflect then-current driving distance. Based on where those values left off, new Yukon kilometre posts were erected in fall 2002 between the B.C. border and Champagne, Yukon. Old kilometre posts, based on the historic miles, remain on the highway from Champagne to the Alaska border. The B.C. and Yukon sections also have a small number of historic mileposts, printed on oval-shaped signs, at locations of historic significance; these special signs were erected in 1992 on the occasion of the highway's 50th anniversary. Champagne is a small community on the Alaska Highway (historical mile 968, between Whitehorse and Haines Junction) in Canadas Yukon Territory. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ...

The Alaska portion of the highway is still marked by mileposts at one-mile intervals, although they no longer represent accurate driving distance, due to reconstruction.

The historic mileposts are still used by residents and businesses along the highway to refer to their location, and in some cases are also used as postal addresses.

Adjoining roads

Other roads that join the Alaska Highway include, from South to North:

• British Columbia
  • Hudson's Hope Highway
  • Liard Highway
  • Cassiar Highway

(the Cassiar highway is mostly within B.C., joining the Alaska Hwy one mile inside the Yukon) Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Official languages English de facto (none stated in law) Flower Pacific dogwood Tree Western Redcedar Bird Stellers Jay Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 36 6 Area... British Columbia provincial highway 29, known locally as Don Philips Way, is a shortcut route from the John Hart Highway to the Alaska Highway. ... British Columbia provincial highway 77, known as the Liard Highway, is the northeasternmost numbered highway in the province, and is the sole paved road connection between B.C. and the Northwest Territories. ... British Columbia provincial highway 37, the Cassiar Highway, is the northwesternmost highway in the province, and it is very scenic, passing through some of the most isolated areas of B.C. The highway first gained its 37 designation in 1975, and at that time, its southern terminus was at the...

• Yukon
  • Campbell Highway
  • Canol Road
  • Atlin Road
  • Tagish Road
  • Klondike Highway
  • Haines Highway

• Alaska
  • Taylor Highway
  • Glenn Highway
  • Seward Highway

Motto: none Official languages English, French Flower Fireweed Tree Subalpine Fir Bird Common Raven Capital Whitehorse Largest city Whitehorse Commissioner Geraldine Van Bibber Premier Dennis Fentie (Yukon Party) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 1 1 Area Total  - Land  - Water  (% of total)  Ranked 9th 482,443 km² 474,391 km... The Robert Campbell Highway or Campbell Highway is a road between Watson Lake, Yukon on the Alaska Highway to Carmacks, Yukon on the Klondike Highway. ... The Canol (short for Canadian Oil) project was another controversial World War II project. ... The Atlin Road was built by the Royal Canadian Army in 1950-1951, connecting the village of Atlin, British Columbia, with the Tagish Highway just one mile west of the Alaska Highway at historic mile 866. ... The Tagish Road is a 33-mile (53-kilometre) road, now hard surfaced, that links Jakes Corner on the Alaska Highway with Carcross, Yukon on the Klondike Highway. ... The Klondike Highway is a highway that leads from Skagway, Alaska in the United States to Dawson City, Yukon in Canada. ... The Haines Highway or Haines Cut-Off is a highway that connects Haines, Alaska, in the United States, with Haines Junction, Yukon, Canada, passing through the province of British Columbia. ... Official language(s) English Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Area  Ranked 1st  - Total 663,267 sq mi (1,717,854 km²)  - Width 808 miles (1,300 km)  - Length 1,479 miles (2,380 km)  - % water 13. ... The Taylor Highway is a highway in Alaska that extends from Tetlin, about 17 km (11 miles) south of Tok, Alaska on the Alaska Highway to Eagle. ... The Glenn Highway (part of Alaska State Highway 1 is a highway that connects Anchorage, Alaska to the Richardson Highway at Glennallen, Alaska. ... The Seward Highway is a highway and All-American Road on the Kenai Peninsula in south central Alaska. ...

Decommissioned road segments still in use

Fort Nelson - Mile 301 to 308, now local residential feeder roads Wildflower Drive, Highland Road, Valleyview Drive

Whitehorse

• Mile 898, now local residential road just west of Yukon River Bridge
• Mile 920.3 to 922.5, now the southern and northern portions of Centennial Street; middle portion is Birch Street
• Mile 922.5 to 922.7, now a portion of Azure Road
• Mile 924, now a portion of Cousins Airfield Road
• Mile 925.5 to 926.9, now Parent Road (east end overlooks Alaska Highway/Klondike Highway junction)
• Mile 927.2 to 927.7, now Echo Valley Road
• Mile 928 to 928.3, now Jackson Road
• Mile 929 to 934, now Old Alaska Highway
• Mile 968, now entrance road to Mendenhall River Subdivision

Champagne-Aishihik traditional territory

• Mile 969 to 981, Champagne loop (bypassed in fall 2002)
• Mile 1016, Hume Street in Haines Junction including access to First Nation subdivision

Other decommissioned segments have deteriorated and are no longer usable. More recent construction projects have deliberately ploughed up roadway to close it.

See also

• List of Alaska Routes
• List of Canadian highways by province
• List of Yukon territorial highways
• Road of Bones

Alaska Routes are both numbered and named. ... The following is a list of highways in Canada grouped by province. ... Yukon Highway 1 - Alaska Highway (Paved) Yukon Highway 2 - Klondike Highway (Paved) Yukon Highway 3 - Haines Highway (Paved) Yukon Highway 4 - Campbell Highway (Mostly unpaved) Yukon Highway 5 - Dempster Highway (Unpaved) Yukon Highway 6 - Canol Road (Unpaved) Yukon Highway 7 - Atlin Road (Mostly unpaved) Yukon Highway 8 - Tagish Road (Unpaved... The Road of Bones is a notorious road through far Eastern Russia. ...

External links

• Alaska Highway — A Yukon perspective — From the Yukon Archives
• Alaska Highway Driving Facts — From the authors of the Milepost
• Bell's Alaska — mile by mile description of the Alaska Highway
• Building the Alaska Highway — Companion Website for the PBS program.
• Trans-Global Highway and the AmerAsian Friendship Tunnel
• History of the Alaska Highway — From the authors of the Milepost