View source for Alaska Highway

{{Short description|Highway in British Columbia, Yukon, and Alaska}}
{{Redirect|Alcan Highway|the film|Alcan Highway (film){{!}}''Alcan Highway'' (film)||Alaska Highway (disambiguation)}}
{{Use list-defined references|date=July 2014}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox road
|header_type=hist
|name=Alaska Highway
|allocation={{plainlist|1=
*{{jct|province=BC|BC|97}}
*{{jct|province=YT|YT|1|nolink1=yes}}
*{{jct|state=AK|AK|2}}
}}
|map={{maplink-road|from=Alaska Highway.map|zoom=3}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=Alaska Highway highlighted in red
|length_km=2232
|length_ref=<ref name=Milepost.AlaskaHighway/>
|length_notes=(as of 2012)
|established=1942<ref name=PBS.Timeline/>
|direction_a=South
|terminus_a={{jct|province=BC|BC|2|BC|97}} in [[Dawson Creek, British Columbia|Dawson Creek, BC]]
|junction=
*{{jct|province=BC|BC|29}} in [[Charlie Lake, British Columbia|Charlie Lake, BC]]
*{{jct|province=BC|BC|77}} near [[Fort Nelson, British Columbia|Fort Nelson, BC]]
*{{jct|province=YT|YT|4}} in [[Watson Lake, Yukon|Watson Lake, YT]]
*{{jct|province=YT|YT|37}} near [[Upper Liard|Upper Liard, YT]]
*{{jct|province=YT|YT|6}} at [[Johnsons Crossing, Yukon|Johnsons Crossing, YT]]
*{{jct|province=YT|YT|8}} at [[Jakes Corner, Yukon|Jakes Corner, YT]]
*{{jct|province=YT|YT|2}} in [[Carcross Cutoff, Yukon|Carcross Cutoff, YT]] and [[Whitehorse, Yukon|Whitehorse, YT]]
*{{jct|province=YT|YT|3}} at [[Haines Junction, Yukon|Haines Junction, YT]]
*{{jct|state=AK|AK|5}} at Tetlin Junction, AK
*{{jct|state=AK|AK|1}} in [[Tok, Alaska|Tok, AK]]
|direction_b=North
|terminus_b={{jct|state=AK|AK|2|AK|4}} at [[Delta Junction, Alaska|Delta Junction, AK]]
|countries=[[Canada]], [[United States]]
|provinces=[[British Columbia]]
|territories=[[Yukon]]
|states=[[Alaska]]
|system1={{infobox road/browselinks/CAN|province=BC}}
|system2={{infobox road/browselinks/CAN|province=YT}}
|system3={{infobox road/browselinks/USA|state=AK}}
|browse={{YT browse|previous_type=YT|previous_route=37|route=Hwy&nbsp;1|next_type=YT|next_route=2}}
}}
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The '''Alaska Highway''' ({{langx|fr|Route de l'Alaska}}; also known as the '''Alaskan Highway''', '''Alaska-Canadian Highway''', or '''ALCAN Highway''') is a highway in [[North America]] which was constructed during [[World War II]] to connect the [[contiguous United States]] to [[Alaska]] through Canada. It begins at the junction with a few Canadian highways in [[Dawson Creek, British Columbia]], and runs to [[Delta Junction, Alaska]], via [[Whitehorse, Yukon]]. When it was completed in 1942, it was about {{convert|2700|km|mi|}} long, but in 2012, it was only {{convert|2232|km|mi|abbr=on|}}. This is due to the realignments of the highway over the years, which has rerouted and straightened many sections. The highway opened to the public in 1948.<ref name=PBS.Timeline/> Once legendary for being a rough, challenging drive, the highway is now paved over its entire length.<ref name=Milepost.AlaskaHighway/> Its component highways are [[British Columbia Highway 97]], [[List of Yukon territorial highways|Yukon Highway]] 1, and [[Alaska Route 2]].

An informal system of historic [[milepost]]s developed over the years to denote major stopping points. Delta Junction, at the end of the highway, makes reference to its location at "Historic Milepost 1422".<ref name=Milepost.AlaskaHighway/> It is at this point that the Alaska Highway meets the [[Richardson Highway]], which continues {{convert|155|km|mi|abbr=on|}} to the city of [[Fairbanks, Alaska|Fairbanks]]. This is often regarded, though unofficially, as the northwestern portion of the Alaska Highway, with Fairbanks at Historic Milepost 1520.<ref name=Milepost.AlaskaHighway/> Mileposts on this stretch of highway are measured from the port of [[Valdez, Alaska|Valdez]] on [[Prince William Sound]], rather than the Alaska Highway. The Alaska Highway is popularly (but unofficially) considered part of the [[Pan-American Highway]], which extends south (despite its [[Darién Gap|discontinuity in Panama]]) to Argentina.<ref name=HSW.PanAmHighway/>

==History==

===Proposal===
[[File:Proposed Alaska Hwy routes 1938.png|Overview map for routes A and B, 1938<ref>{{cite news|title = How Road Will Benefit Prince George |url = http://pgnewspapers.pgpl.ca/fedora/repository/pgc:1938-02-24/-/Prince%20George%20Citizen%20-%20February%2024,%201938 |access-date = September 17, 2018 |work = Prince George Citizen |date = February 24, 1938 |page = 5 |language = en }}</ref>|left|thumb]]
Proposals for a highway to Alaska originated in the 1920s. [[Thomas Harris MacDonald|Thomas MacDonald]], director of the [[U.S. Bureau of Public Roads]], dreamed of an international highway spanning the United States and Canada. In order to promote the highway, in 1933 [[Slim Williams]] originally traveled the proposed route by dogsled. Since much of the route would pass through Canada, support from the Canadian government was crucial. However, the Canadian government perceived no value in putting up the required funds to build the road, since the only part of Canada that would benefit was not more than a few thousand people in Yukon.

In 1929, the British Columbia government proposed a highway to Alaska to encourage economic development and tourism. American President [[Herbert Hoover]] appointed a board with American and three Canadian members to evaluate the idea. Its 1931 report supported the idea for economic reasons, but both American and Canadian members recognized that a highway would benefit the American military in Alaska. In 1933, the joint commission proposed the U.S. government contribute $2 million of the capital cost, with the $12 million balance borne by the Canadian and BC governments.<ref name="Prince George Citizen, 3 Oct 1998">Prince George Citizen, October 3, 1998{{full citation needed|date=June 2020}}</ref> The [[Great Depression]] and the Canadian government's lack of support caused the project to not proceed.

When the United States approached Canada again in February 1936, the Canadian government refused to commit to spending money on a road connecting the United States. The Canadians also worried about the military implications, fearing that in a war between Japan and the United States, the US military use of the road would breach Canadian neutrality. During a June 1936 visit to Canada, President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] told Prime Minister [[W. L. M. King]] that a highway to Alaska through Canada could be important in quickly reinforcing the American territory during a foreign crisis. Roosevelt became the first American to publicly discuss the military benefits of a highway in an August speech in [[Chautauqua, New York]]. He again mentioned the idea during King's visit to Washington in March 1937, suggesting that a $30 million highway would be helpful as part of a larger defense against Japan that would include, the Americans hoped, a larger Canadian military presence on the Pacific coast. Roosevelt remained a supporter of the highway, telling [[Cordell Hull]] in August 1937 that he wanted a road built as soon as possible.<ref name="perras1998">{{cite book |title = Franklin Roosevelt and the Origins of the Canadian-American Security Alliance, 1933–1945: Necessary, but Not Necessary Enough |publisher = Praeger |last = Perras |first = Galen Roger |year = 1998 |pages = 19–22, 34–36 |isbn = 0-275-95500-1 }}</ref> By 1938, [[Duff Pattullo]], the BC premier, favored a route through Prince George. The U.S. offered either a $15 million interest-free loan, or to cover half the construction costs.<ref name="Prince George Citizen, 3 Oct 1998"/>
[[File:Northwest Service Command insignia.svg|left|thumb|Northwest Service Command SSI]]
The December 7, 1941 [[attack on Pearl Harbor]] and beginning of the [[Pacific War|Pacific Theater]] in [[World War II]], coupled with Japanese threats to the west coast of North America and the [[Aleutian Islands]], changed the priorities for both nations. On February 6, 1942, the construction of the Alaska Highway was approved by the United States Army and the project received the authorization from the U.S. Congress and Roosevelt to proceed five days later. The Northwest Service Command was created in September 1942. It was responsible for the construction and maintenance of the Alaska Highway, the operation of the [[White Pass and Yukon Route|railway]] between [[Skagway, Alaska]], and Whitehorse, and the [[Canol Project]].  Canada agreed to allow construction as long as the United States bore the full cost, and that the road and other facilities in Canada be turned over to Canadian authority after the war ended. It proved unimportant for the military because 99 percent of the supplies to Alaska during the war were sent by sea from [[San Francisco]], [[Seattle]], and [[Prince Rupert, British Columbia|Prince Rupert]].<ref>Prince George Citizen, September 5, 1992{{full citation needed|date=June 2020}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=April 2018}}

[[File:William M. Hoge Alaska Highway 1942.jpg|thumb|Brigadier General [[William M. Hoge]], commanding general of the Alaska Highway Project, 1942]]
[[File:Alcan construction.jpg|A caterpillar tractor with dozer widens the roadway of the Alaska Highway, 1942|thumb]]
[[File:Alaska_highway_refines_sims_alfred_jalufkamet.jpg|thumb|Soldiers of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers meeting in the middle after completing construction of the Alaska Highway]]

====Routing====
The Americans preferred Route A which, starting at [[Prince George, British Columbia|Prince George]], went northwest to 
[[Hazelton, British Columbia|Hazelton]], along the [[Stikine River]], by 
[[Atlin Lake|Atlin]], [[Teslin Lake|Teslin]] and Tagish Lakes, and from [[Whitehorse, Yukon]], to [[Fairbanks, Alaska]], via the [[Tanana Valley]]. However, the route was vulnerable to possible enemy attack from the sea, experienced steep grades and heavy snowfall, and had no airbases along the way.

The Canadians favored Route B. This also started at Prince George, but followed the [[Rocky Mountain Trench]] up the valleys of the [[Parsnip River|Parsnip]] and [[Finlay River]]s to [[Finlay Forks]] and [[Sifton Pass]], then north to [[Frances Lake]] and the [[Pelly River]] in the Yukon. From there it went to [[Dawson City]] and down the [[Yukon River|Yukon Valley]] to connect the [[Richardson Highway]] to Fairbanks. The advantages of this inland route was the safe distance from enemy planes, and {{convert|209|mi|km}} shorter with lower elevations enabling lower construction and maintenance costs. The disadvantages were the bypassing of respective airbases, and Whitehorse, the principal town in the Yukon. Optional variations in the southern portion of this route were via [[Vanderhoof, British Columbia|Vanderhoof]] to the west or [[Monkman Pass]] to the east.

Route C, the Prairie option, advocated by the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]], was the only practical one. It was far enough inland from enemy planes and it linked the airfields of the [[Northwest Staging Route]] that conveyed lend-lease aircraft from the United States to the Soviet Union. This option encountered more level terrain, not ascending a pass over {{convert|4250|ft|m}}. There was also a railhead at [[Dawson Creek, British Columbia]], and a winter trail from there to 
[[Fort Nelson, British Columbia|Fort Nelson]], {{convert|300|mi|km}} to the northwest. It followed the Rocky Mountain Trench toward [[Dawson City]] before turning west to Fairbanks.<ref>Prince George Citizen: February 8, 1940, May 6, 1943, August 5, 1943, & September 5, 1992{{full citation needed|date=June 2020}}</ref>

===Construction===
The road was originally built mostly by the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers|U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]] as a supply route during World War II. In 1942, the Army Corps of Engineers assigned more than 10,000 men, about a third of whom were black soldiers, members of three newly formed African-American segregated regiments.<ref name=NYT.BlackSoldiers/> 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 traveling on winter roads on frozen marshland from railway stations on the Northern Alberta Railways); both east and west from [[Whitehorse, Yukon|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, and housing originally meant for use in southern [[California]].

The official start of construction took place on March 9, 1942, after hundreds of pieces of construction equipment were moved on priority trains by the [[Northern Alberta Railways]] to the northeastern part of British Columbia near Mile 0 at Dawson Creek. Construction accelerated through the spring as the winter weather faded away and crews were able to work from both the northern and southern ends; they were spurred on after reports of the Japanese invasion of [[Kiska Island]] and [[Attu Island]] in the Aleutians. During construction the road was nicknamed the "oil can highway" by the work crews due to the large number of discarded oil cans and fuel drums that marked the road's progress.<ref name=History.AlcanHighway/> The construction crew had also passed through an Indigenous village known as [[Champagne Landing|Champagne]] (Shadhala-ra) which they used to set up camp.<ref name="explorenorth.com">{{Cite web|title=Champagne, Yukon (Shadhala-ra) - A Community Guide by ExploreNorth|url=https://explorenorth.com/yukon/champagne.html|access-date=2021-12-19|website=explorenorth.com}}</ref> Unfortunately, disease spread and nearly wiped out the indigenous population of the village.<ref name="explorenorth.com"/><ref name="sightsandsites.ca">{{Cite web|title=Sights and Sites of the Yukon: Central Yukon - Champagne: On access road off Alaska Highway|url=https://sightsandsites.ca/central/site/champagne-on-access-road-off-alaska-highway|access-date=2021-12-19|website=sightsandsites.ca}}</ref> After the war, the survivors left the village to find work, leaving the location a ghost town.<ref name="explorenorth.com"/><ref name="sightsandsites.ca"/>

[[File:Small group dedicating the Alaskan Highway--November 20, 1942.jpg|thumb|Group dedicating the Alaskan Highway (November 20, 1942)]]
On September 24, 1942, crews from both directions met at Mile 588 at what became named Contact Creek,<ref name=BC-Geo.ContactCreek/> at the British Columbia-Yukon border at the [[60th parallel north|60th parallel]]; the entire route was completed October 28, 1942, with the northern linkup at Mile 1202, Beaver Creek, and the highway was dedicated on November 20, 1942, at Soldier's Summit.

Although it was completed on October 28, 1942, and its completion was celebrated at Soldier's Summit on 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, a poor surface, switchbacks to gain and descend hills, and few guardrails. Bridges, which progressed during 1942 from [[pontoon bridge]]s to temporary [[log bridge]]s, were replaced with steel bridges where necessary.
 
[[File:Aishihik_River.jpg|thumb|right|Replica log bridge at [[Aishihik River]] crossing]]
A replica log bridge, the Canyon Creek bridge, can be seen at the [[Aishihik River]] crossing; the bridge was rebuilt in 1987 and refurbished in 2005 by the Yukon government where it functions as a popular tourist attraction. The easing of the Japanese invasion threat resulted in no more contracts being given to private contractors for upgrading of specific sections.

Some {{convert|100|mi|km}} of route between [[Burwash Landing, Yukon|Burwash Landing]] and Koidern, Yukon, became nearly impassable in May and June 1943 due to [[permafrost]] thawing under the road and destroying the layer of delicate vegetation that held the road together. A [[corduroy road]] was built to restore the route, and corduroy still underlies old sections of highway in the area. Modern construction methods do not allow the permafrost to thaw, either by building a [[gravel]] [[berm]] on top or replacing the vegetation and soil immediately with gravel. The Burwash-Koidern section, however, is still a problem as the new highway built there in the late 1990s continues to experience frost heave.

''[[Pincers on Japan]]'' and ''[[Look to the North]]'', both 1944 productions, were [[National Film Board of Canada]] documentaries that depicted the construction of the Alaska Highway.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=17275 |title = Collection: 'Pincers on Japan' |work = NFB.ca |date = October 11, 2012 |access-date = January 31, 2016 |archive-date = March 5, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170305012710/http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=17275 |url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=17107 |title = Film: 'Look to the North' |work = NFB.ca |date = October 11, 2012 |access-date = January 31, 2016 }}</ref>

===Post war===
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.<ref name=Army.Framework/> In the postwar settlement, Canada did not pay for the highway itself, but assumed responsibility for its ongoing maintenance; furthermore, Canada compensated the United States for associated airfields, telephone lines, and other assets.<ref>{{Citation | vauthors=((Canada Dominion Bureau of Statistics Transportation Division)) | year=1948 | title=Highway Statistics, 1946 | url=https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2016/statcan/53-201/CS53-201-1946-eng.pdf | access-date=7 March 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Main |first1=J R K |title=Voyageurs of the Air: A History of Civil Aviation in Canada, 1858-1967 |date=1967 |publisher=Queen's Printer |location=Ottawa |pages=179–180}}</ref> The handover took place on April 1, 1946, when the U.S. Army transferred control of the road through Yukon and British Columbia to the Canadian Army, Northwest Highway System. The Alaskan section was completely paved during the 1960s. The lower 50 miles of the Canadian portion were paved in 1959,<ref>Prince George Citizen, July 21, 1959{{full citation needed|date=June 2020}}</ref> but the remainder was largely gravel. While the entire route is now completely paved (mostly with [[Road surface#Bituminous surface|bituminous surface treatment]]), as late as the mid-1980s the highway still included sections of winding dusty road sandwiched between high quality reconstructed paved segments.<ref>{{cite book |last = Coates |first = Kenneth |year = 1985 |title = The Alaska Highway: Papers of the 40th Anniversary Symposium. |publisher = University of British Columbia Press |page = 146 |isbn = 9780774844116 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=MlpDua0pm64C&pg=PA135 |via = Google Books }}</ref>

''[[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.
[[File:Destructionwelcome.jpg|thumb|The settlement of [[Destruction Bay]] was originally a work camp for the highway.]]
The [[British Columbia]] government owns the first {{convert|82.6|mi|km}} of the highway, the only portion paved during the late 1960s and 1970s. [[Department of Public Works and Government Services (Canada)|Public Works Canada]] manages the highway from Mile 82.6 (km 133) to Historic Mile 630. The Yukon government owns the highway from Historic Mile 630 to Historic Mile 1016 (from near [[Watson Lake, Yukon|Watson Lake]] to [[Haines Junction, Yukon|Haines Junction]]), and manages the remainder to the U.S. border at Historic Mile 1221. The State of Alaska owns the highway within that state (Mile 1221 to Mile 1422).

The Alaska Highway was built for military purposes and its route was not ideal for postwar development of northern Canada.<ref name=JWH.Rampant/> Rerouting in Canada has shortened the highway by about {{convert|35|mi|km}} since 1947, mostly by eliminating winding sections and sometimes by bypassing residential areas. The historic milepost markings are therefore no longer accurate but are still important as local location references. Some old sections of the highway are in use as local roads, while others are left to deteriorate and still others are plowed up. Four sections form local residential streets in Whitehorse and Fort Nelson, 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.

Rerouting continues, expected to continue in the Yukon through 2009{{Update after|2014|6|10}}, with the Haines Junction-[[Beaver Creek, Yukon|Beaver Creek]] section covered by the Canada-U.S. [[Shakwak Agreement]]. The new Donjek River bridge was opened September 26, 2007, replacing a 1952 bridge. 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 Agreement|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.

''[[The Milepost]]'' shows the Canadian section of the highway now to be about {{convert|1187|mi|km}}, 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 BC and Yukon governments and Public Works Canada have recalibrated [[kilometre post]]s. The latest BC recalibration was carried out in 1990; using its end-point at the border at Historic Mile 630, the Yukon government has recalibrated in three stages: in 2002, from Mile 630 to the west end of the Champagne revision; in fall 2005, to a point just at the southeast shore of Kluane Lake, and in fall 2008, to the border with Alaska.

There are historical mileposts along the B.C. and Yukon sections of the highway, installed in 1992, that note specific locations, although the posts no longer represent accurate driving distance. There are 80 mileposts in B.C., 70 in Yukon and 16 in Alaska with a simple number marker of the original mile distance. There are 31 "historic signs" in B.C., 22 in Yukon and 5 in Alaska, identifying the significance of the location. There are 18 interpretive panels in B.C., 14 in Yukon and 5 in Alaska which give detailed text information at a turn-off parking area.

The portion of the Alaska Highway in Alaska is designated [[Alaska Route 2]]. In Yukon, it is [[Yukon Highway 1|Highway 1]] (designated in 1968<ref>{{cite news |title = Yukon Highways Given Numbers |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41037205/yukon_designations_april_25_1968/ |access-date = December 24, 2019 |work = The Whitehorse Star |date = April 25, 1968 |page = 21 |via = Newspapers.com }}</ref>) and in British Columbia, [[British Columbia Highway 97|Highway 97]]. The portion of the Alaska Highway in Alaska is also unsigned [[Interstate A-1]] and unsigned [[Interstate A-2]].

===Route markings===
[[File:Alaska Highway Start.jpg|right|thumb|A monument at the southern terminus of the Alaska Highway (Dawson Creek)]]

The Canadian section of the road was delineated with mileposts, based on the road as it was in 1947, but over the years, reconstruction steadily shortened the distance between some of those mileposts. In 1978, 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. km post 1000 was posted about where historical Mile 621 would have been posted.

As reconstruction continues to shorten the highway, the kilometre posts, at {{convert|2|km|adj=on}} intervals, were recalibrated along the B.C. section of road to reflect the driving distances in 1990. The section of highway covered by the 1990 recalibration has since been rendered shorter by further realignments, such as near Summit Pass and between [[Muncho Lake]] and [[Iron Creek]].

[[File:Alaska Highway Mile 1337 (Looking Eastbound).jpg|thumb|left|View of the highway at Mile 1,337, facing east]]
Based on where those values left off, new Yukon kilometre posts were erected in fall 2002 between the B.C. border and the west end of the new bypass around [[Champagne, Yukon]]; in 2005, additional recalibrated posts continued from there to the east shore of [[Kluane Lake]] near Silver City; and in fall 2008, from Silver City to the boundary with Alaska. Old kilometre posts, based on the historic miles, remained on the highway, after the first two recalibrations, from those points around Kluane Lake 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.

The Alaska portion of the highway is still marked by mileposts at {{convert|1|mi|adj=on}} intervals, although they no longer represent accurate driving distance, due to reconstruction.

[[File:Alaska Highway End (Delta Junction).jpg|right|thumb|A monument at the northern terminus of the Alaska Highway ([[Delta Junction]])]]
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.
The community [[Wonowon, British Columbia]], is named by its location at mile 101, spoken "one-oh-one".

Residents and travelers, and the government of the Yukon, do not use "east" and "west" to refer to direction of travel on the Yukon section, even though this is the predominant bearing of the Yukon portion of the highway; "north" and "south" are used, referring to the south (Dawson Creek) and north (Delta Junction) termini of the highway. This is an important consideration for travelers who may otherwise be confused, particularly when a westbound travel routes southwestward or even due south to circumvent a natural obstacle such as Kluane Lake.

Some B.C. sections west of [[Fort Nelson, British Columbia|Fort Nelson]] also route more east-to-west, with southwest bearings in some section; again, "north" is used in preference to "west".

Since 1949 ''[[The Milepost]]'', an exhaustive guide to the Alaska Highway and all other routes through the region, has been published each year.

===Proposed U.S. Route 97 designation===
{{infobox road small
|state=AK
|type=US 1961
|header_type=former
|route=97
|location=[[Canada]]&ndash;[[Fairbanks]]
|length_mi=
|length_ref=
|length_round=
|history=Proposed,<ref name=AASHTO/> but never designated
}}

The portion of the Alaska Highway in Alaska was planned to become part of the [[United States Numbered Highway System]] and to be signed as part of [[U.S. Route&nbsp;97]] (US&nbsp;97). In 1953, the British Columbia government renumbered a series of highways to Highway&nbsp;97 between the U.S. border at [[Osoyoos]], US&nbsp;97's northern terminus, and Dawson Creek.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}} The Alaska International Rail and Highway Commission lobbied for the designation of Highway 97 from [[Fairbanks, Alaska|Fairbanks]] to [[Mexico City]] in the late 1950s.<ref>{{cite news |date=November 15, 1959 |title=Alaskan At Highway&nbsp;97 Meeting |page=73 |work=[[The Seattle Times]]}}</ref> Certain prior editions of [[United States Geological Survey]] topographic maps, mostly published during the 1950s, bore the US&nbsp;97 [[highway shield]] along or near portions of the current [[Alaska Route 2|AK-2]].<ref name=summit/> In 1964, the [[American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials]] (AASHTO) approved an extension of US&nbsp;97 from the Yukon border to [[Fairbanks, Alaska|Fairbanks]] along AK-2, conditional to Yukon renumbering its portion of the Alaska Highway;<ref name=AASHTO>{{AASHTO minutes |year = 1964A |page = 294 |access-date = August 2, 2022}}</ref> the Yukon government declined to renumber its portion of the highway and approval was withdrawn in 1968.<ref name=summit>{{cite web |title = History |url = https://www.highway97.com/ |website = Highway 97 in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, & California |publisher = Summit Solutions |access-date = September 17, 2018 |date = 2011 }}</ref>
{{Clear}}

==Route description==

{{More citations needed section|date=October 2020}}
[[File:AlaskaHWY.JPG|left|thumb|Alaska Highway between [[Fort Nelson, British Columbia|Fort Nelson]] and [[Watson Lake, Yukon|Watson Lake]]]]

The pioneer road completed in 1942 was about {{convert|1680|mi|km}} from Dawson Creek to Delta Junction. The Army then turned the road over to the [[Public Roads Administration]] (PRA), which then began putting out section contracts to private road contractors to upgrade selected sections of the road. These sections were upgraded, with removal of excess bends and steep grades; often, a traveler could identify upgraded sections by seeing the telephone line along the PRA-approved route alignment. When the Japanese invasion threat eased, the PRA stopped putting out new contracts. Upon hand-off to Canada in 1946, the route was {{convert|1422|mi|km}} from Dawson Creek to Delta Junction.
[[File:Portalcan.jpg|thumb|right|Border crossing at [[Port Alcan]] station]]

The route follows a northwest then northward course from Dawson Creek to Fort Nelson. On October 16, 1957, a [[suspension bridge]] crossing the Peace River just south of Fort St. John collapsed. A new bridge was built a few years later. At Fort Nelson, the road turns west and crosses the Rocky Mountains, before resuming a westward course at Coal River. The highway crossed the Yukon-BC border nine times from Mile 590 to Mile 773, six of those crossings were from Mile 590 to Mile 596. After passing the south end of Kluane Lake, the highway follows a north-northwest course to the Alaska border, then northwest to the terminus at Delta Junction.

Postwar rebuilding has not shifted the highway more than {{convert|10|mi|km}} from the original alignment, and in most cases, by less than {{convert|3|mi|km}}. It is not clear if it still crosses the Yukon-BC border six times from Mile 590 to Mile 596.{{Why|date=October 2020|reason=someone must know}}

===Interstate Highway System===
{{infobox road small
|state=AK
|name=Interstate A1 and Interstate A2
|location=Canada to Tok (A1)<br />Tok to Delta Junction (A2)
|length_mi=325.38
|length_ref=
|length_round=
|formed=1976
}}
{{see also|List of Interstate Highways in Alaska|Glenn Highway|Richardson Highway|Tok Cut-Off}}
The Alaska portion of the Alaska Highway is an unsigned part of the [[Interstate Highway System]] east of Fairbanks. The entire length of [[Interstate A-2]] follows Route 2 from the [[George Parks Highway]] ([[Interstate A-4]]) junction in Fairbanks to Tok, east of which Route 2 carries [[Interstate A-1]] off the [[Tok Cut-Off Highway]] to the international border.<ref>{{cite map |author = Federal Highway Administration |author-link = Federal Highway Administration |title = [[National Highway System (United States)|National Highway System]] |map-url = http://hepgis.fhwa.dot.gov/hepgis_v2/Highway/Map.aspx |map = Viewer |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070827123754/http://hepgis.fhwa.dot.gov/hepgis_v2/Highway/Map.aspx |archive-date = August 27, 2007 |access-date = August 1, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author = Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities |author-link = Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities |url = http://www.dot.state.ak.us/stwdplng/highwaydata/pub/routelists/interstate_mapset2006final.pdf |title = Dwight D. Eisenhower Interstate Routes |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090727091058/http://www.dot.state.ak.us/stwdplng/highwaydata/pub/routelists/interstate_mapset2006final.pdf |archive-date = July 27, 2009 |date = April 2006 }}</ref> Only a short piece of the Richardson Highway in Fairbanks is built to [[freeway]] standards.

{{Clear}}

== Major intersections ==
{{mileposts}}
{{Jcttop|state_col=Province / Territory / State|length_ref=<ref name=BC_inventory>{{cite book |type = Report |title = Landmark Kilometre Inventory |url = http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/driving-and-transportation/transportation-infrastructure/engineering-standards-and-guidelines/traffic-engineering-and-safety/highway-safety/lki/lki_bc_201507.pdf |pages = 452–461 |publisher = British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure |author = Cypher Consulting |date = July 2015 |access-date = October 20, 2017 |archive-date = June 1, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160601112926/http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/driving-and-transportation/transportation-infrastructure/engineering-standards-and-guidelines/traffic-engineering-and-safety/highway-safety/lki/lki_bc_201507.pdf |url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{google maps|title=Alaska Hwy (Hwy 1) in Yukon|url=https://www.google.ca/maps/@61.4139784,-133.2502583,7z|access-date=October 20, 2017}}</ref><ref name=log>{{cite book |author = Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities |url = http://www.dot.state.ak.us/stwdplng/highwaydata/pub/genlogs/2006_04_norlog.pdf |title = Northern Region General Log |date = April 25, 2006 |at = Routes 153000 (Elliott Highway), 152000 (Steese Highway), 190000 (Richardson Highway), and 180000 (Alaska Highway) }}{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>|unit=km|county_col=Regional District/Borough}}
{{Jctint
|state=BC
|sspan=8
|county_special=[[Peace River Regional District|Peace River]]
|cspan=4
|location=Dawson Creek
|km=0.0
|road={{Jct|state=BC|Hwy|2|Hwy|49|dir1=east|to2=yes|location1=[[Spirit River, Alberta|Spirit River]]|location2=[[Grande Prairie, Alberta|Grande Prairie]]|location3=[[Edmonton]]}}<br />{{Jct|state=BC|Hwy|97|dir1=south|name1=John Hart Highway|city1=Chetwynd|city2=Tumbler Ridge|city3=Prince George}}
|notes=Southern terminus of the Alaska Highway
}}
{{Jctplace
|location=Taylor
|state=BC
|km=53.5
|place=Crossing over the [[Peace River]]
}}
{{BCint
|location=Fort St. John
|km=71.7
|road=100th Street – [[Cecil Lake]], [[Fairview, Alberta|Fairview]]
|notes=
}}
{{BCint
|location=Charlie Lake
|km=84.2
|road={{jct|state=BC|Hwy|29|dir1=south|city1=Hudson's Hope|city2=Chetwynd}}
|notes=
}}
{{BCint
|division=Northern Rockies
|dspan=4
|location=Fort Nelson
|km=452.8
|road=50 Street, Liard Street
|notes=
}}
{{BCint
|location=none
|lspan=3
|km=481.2
|road={{jct|state=BC|Hwy|77|dir1=north|name1=Liard Highway|location1=[[Fort Liard]]|location2=[[Fort Simpson]]}}
|notes=
}}
{{Jctplace
|km=594.2
|place=[[Summit Pass (British Columbia)|Summit Pass]] – {{convert|1267|m|ft|abbr=on}}
}}
{{Jctplace
|km=760.1
|place=Crossing over the [[Liard River]]
}}
{{Jctbridge
|location=none
|river=&nbsp;
|river_wide=yes
|km=902.7
|place=[[British Columbia]]&ndash;[[Yukon]] border
}}
{{Jctbridge
|location=none
|river=&nbsp;
|river_wide=yes
|km=903.9
|place=[[British Columbia]]&ndash;[[Yukon]] border
}}
{{Jctbridge
|location=none
|river=&nbsp;
|river_wide=yes
|km=906.6
|place=[[British Columbia]]&ndash;[[Yukon]] border
}}
{{Jctbridge
|location=none
|river=&nbsp;
|river_wide=yes
|km=915.0
|place=[[British Columbia]]&ndash;[[Yukon]] border
}}
{{Jctbridge
|location=none
|river=&nbsp;
|river_wide=yes
|km=916.8
|place=[[British Columbia]]&ndash;[[Yukon]] border
}}
{{Jctbridge
|location=none
|river=&nbsp;
|river_wide=yes
|km=919.2
|place=[[British Columbia]]&ndash;[[Yukon]] border
}}
{{Jctbridge
|location=none
|river=&nbsp;
|river_wide=yes
|type=trans
|km=964.1
|place=[[British Columbia]]&ndash;[[Yukon]] border<br>Northern terminus of {{jct|state=BC|Hwy|97}}; southern terminus of {{jct|state=YT|Hwy|1|nolink1=yes}}
}}
{{Jctint
|state=YT
|sspan=3
|county_special=''[[Unorganized Yukon|Unorganized]]''
|cspan=3
|location_special=[[Watson Lake, Yukon|Watson Lake]]
|km=976.4
|road={{jct|state=YT|Hwy|4|dir1=north|name1=Robert Campbell Highway|city1=Ross River|city2=Faro}}
|notes=
}}
{{Jctbridge
|location=none
|km=987.6
|place=Crossing over the [[Liard River]]
}}
{{ABint
|location=none
|km=997.6
|road={{jct|state=YT|Hwy|37|name1=Stewart–Cassiar Highway|dir1=south|location1=[[Dease Lake, British Columbia|Dease Lake, BC]]|location2=[[Stewart, British Columbia|Stewart, BC]]}}
|notes=
}}
{{Jctbridge
|location=none
|river=&nbsp;
|river_wide=yes
|place=[[British Columbia]]&ndash;[[Yukon]] border
}}
{{Jctbridge
|location=none
|river=&nbsp;
|river_wide=yes
|km=1161.9
|place=[[British Columbia]]&ndash;[[Yukon]] border
}}
{{Jctplace
|state=YT
|sspan=10
|county_special=''[[Unorganized Yukon|Unorganized]]''
|cspan=10
|location=Teslin
|km=1201.9
|place=Crossing over [[Teslin Lake]]
}}
{{Jctint
|location_special=[[Johnsons Crossing, Yukon|Johnsons Crossing]]
|km=1253.2
|road={{jct|state=YT|Hwy|6|name1=Canol Road|dir1=north|city1=Ross River}}
|notes=
}}
{{Jctint
|location_special=[[Jake's Corner, Yukon|Jake's Corner]]
|km=1253.2
|road={{jct|state=YT|Hwy|8|name1=Tagish Road|dir1=west|city1=Tagish|city2=Carcross|location3=[[Atlin, British Columbia|Atlin, BC]]}}
|notes=
}}
{{Jctplace
|location=none
|km=1350.2
|place=Crossing over the [[Yukon River]]
}}
{{Jctint
|location_special=[[Carcross Cutoff, Yukon|Carcross Cutoff]]
|km=1361.4
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=YT|Hwy|2|dir1=south|name1=Klondike Highway|city1=Carcross|city2=Tagish|location3=[[Skagway, Alaska|Skagway, AK]]}}
|notes=South end of Hwy 2 concurrency
}}
{{Jctint
|location_special=[[Whitehorse, Yukon|Whitehorse]]
|lspan=3
|km=1376.2
|road=South Access Road
|notes=
}}
{{Jctint
|km=1382.0
|road=Hamilton Boulevard, Two Mile Hill Road
|notes=
}}
{{Jctint
|type=concur
|km=1393.7
|road={{jct|state=YT|Hwy|2|dir1=north|name1=Klondike Highway|city1=Carmacks|city2=Dawson City}}
|notes=North end of Hwy 2 concurrency
}}
{{Jctint
|location_special=[[Haines Junction, Yukon|Haines Junction]]
|km=1533.9
|road={{jct|state=YT|Hwy|3|dir1=south|name1=Haines Highway|location1=[[Haines, Alaska|Haines, AK]]}}
|notes=
}}
{{Jctint
|location_special=[[Beaver Creek, Yukon|Beaver Creek]]
|km=1849.9
|road=
|notes=
}}
{{Jctplace
|river=[[Alcan–Beaver Creek Border Crossing]]
|river_wide=yes
|type=trans
|km=1856.6
|place=[[Canada–United States border]]<br />Northern terminus of {{jct|state=YT|Hwy|1|nolink1=yes}}; southern terminus of {{jct|state=AK|AK|2|dir1=southern terminus}}
}}
{{AKint
|sspan=3
|borough=Unorganized
|bspan=3
|location_special=Tetlin Junction<!-- DO NOT add links other language versions of Wikipedia, whether or not, the place has its own separate article on the English Wikipeida. -->
|km=1981.4
|road={{jct|state=AK|AK|5|dir1=north|name1=Taylor Highway|city1=Eagle|location2=[[Dawson City, Yukon|Dawson City, YK]]}}
|notes=
}}
{{AKint
|location=Tok
|km=2001.5
|road={{jct|state=AK|AK|1|dir1=west|name1=Tok Cut-Off Highway|city1=Valdez|city2=Anchorage}}
|notes=
}}
{{AKint
|location=Delta Junction
|km=2174.7
|road={{jct|state=AK|AK|4|dir1=south|name1=[[Richardson Highway]]|city1=Glennallen}}<br />{{jct|state=AK|AK|2|dir1=north|name1=[[Richardson Highway]]|city1=Fairbanks}}
|notes=Northern terminus of Alaska Highway
}}
{{Jctbtm|exit|keys=concur,trans}}

==Bypassed road segments still in use==
[[File:Old-Alaska-Highway-Fort-Nelson.jpg|thumb|Bypassed segment still in use, west of Fort Nelson, 2005]]

===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 by {{convert|8.6|mi|km|adj=on}} revision)
* Mile 1016, Hume Street in Haines Junction including access to First Nation subdivision

{{anchor|Alaska-Canada Military Highway}}
==Alaska-Canada Military Highway (Segment)==
{{Infobox NRHP
| name                 = Alaska-Canada Military Highway (Segment)
| nrhp_type            =
| image                = Bypassed segment of Alaska Highway, near Craig Lake, Alaska.jpg
| caption              = Bypassed segment still in use, southeast of Delta Junction
| nearest_city         = [[Delta Junction, Alaska|Delta Junction]]
| location             = About {{convert|37|mi|km}} southeast of Delta Junction
| coordinates          = {{coord|63.731465|-144.700526|display=inline,source:ProprioMeOW}}
| locmapin             =
| built                = {{Start date|1904}}
| architect OR builder =
| architecture         =
| added                = July 31, 2013
| area                 =
| refnum               = 13000543<ref name="nris">{{NRISref |refnum=13000543|version=2010a}}</ref>
}}

* Mile 1348,<ref name=Milepost.Craig/><!--It's entirely unclear what mileage standard is being used in this section. The listing says the actual mileage is 1348, but the physical milepost is 1383. The Milepost lists both for Alaska, as mileages haven't been recalibrated.--> one {{convert|2.5|mi|km|adj=on}} bypassed section of the original route, about {{convert|37|mi|km}} southeast of Delta Junction, is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] as "one of the few sections of the road in Alaska virtually unchanged". The unpaved road is used by local residents to access Craig Lake,<ref name=NRHP.Listing/><ref name=NRHP.Nomination/> and is signed as Craig Lake Trail.

Other former segments have deteriorated and are no longer usable. More recent construction projects have deliberately plowed up roadway to close it.
{{-}}

==See also==
{{stack|{{Portal|Canada|U.S. roads|Alaska}}}}
* [[Inter-American Highway]]
* [[R504 Kolyma Highway]]
* [[Pan-American Highway]]
* [[Sign Post Forest]]
* [[Alcan–Beaver Creek Border Crossing]]
{{Clear}}

==References==
<!-- See comments about list-defined references at the top of this article.

The ref definitions are in refname order. This is not required, but it keeps things organized.
     Blank lines are used to separate ref defs for readability and reduced eye strain. CamelCase
     is used to delimit adjacent words in refnames, as in AlcanHighway; by avoiding blanks within
     refnames, the need for quotation marks is eliminated. -->

{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name=Army.Framework>{{cite book |url = http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/Framework/ch15.htm |title = The Framework of Hemisphere Defense |series = United States Army in World War II: The Western Hemisphere |first1 = Stetson |last1 = Conn |first2 = Byron |last2 = Fairchild |chapter = Chapter XV, The United States and Canada: Elements of Wartime Collaboration |location = Washington, DC |publisher = Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army |oclc = 1036066 |access-date = April 17, 2008 |archive-date = December 31, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101231112404/http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/Framework/ch15.htm |url-status = dead }}</ref>

<ref name=BC-Geo.ContactCreek>{{Cite bcgnis |id = 13395 |title = Contact Creek }}</ref>

<ref name=History.AlcanHighway>{{cite episode |title = The Alcan Highway |series = Modern Marvels |url = http://www.history.com/shows/modern-marvels/episodes/all-episodes#slide-217 |airdate = 2003 |season = 6 }}</ref>

<ref name=HSW.PanAmHighway>{{cite web |website = How Stuff Works |url = http://geography.howstuffworks.com/south-america/the-pan-american-highway.htm |title = The Pan American Highway |access-date = April 27, 2012 |archive-date = May 5, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120505041442/http://geography.howstuffworks.com/south-america/the-pan-american-highway.htm |url-status = dead }}</ref>

<ref name=JWH.Rampant>{{cite journal |last1 = Coates |first1 = K. |last2 = Morrison |first2 = W. R. |year = 1991 |title = The American Rampant: Reflections on the Impact of United States Troops in Allied Countries during World War II |journal = Journal of World History |volume = 2 |issue = 2 |pages = 201–221 |jstor = 20078500 }}</ref>

<ref name=Milepost.AlaskaHighway>{{cite web |title = Alaska Highway |work = [[The Milepost]] |publisher = [[Morris Communications|Morris Visitor Publications]] |url = http://www.milepost.com/highway_info/alaska_highway |access-date = January 8, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120119144245/http://www.milepost.com/highway_info/alaska_highway |archive-date = January 19, 2012 |url-status = dead }}</ref>

<ref name=Milepost.Craig>{{cite book |title = The Milepost: All-The-North Travel Guide |publisher = [[Morris Communications]] |page = 219 |year = 2012 |edition = 64th |isbn = 978-189215429-3 |issn = 0361-1361 }}</ref>

<ref name=NRHP.Listing>{{cite web |title = NRHP listing for Alaska-Canada Military Highway |url = http://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/places/13000543.htm |publisher = National Park Service |access-date = July 7, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140707185852/http://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/places/13000543.htm |archive-date = July 7, 2014 |url-status = dead |date = July 31, 2013 }}</ref>

<ref name=NRHP.Nomination>{{cite web |url = http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/feature/places/pdfs/13000543.pdf |title = NRHP nomination for Alaska-Canada Military Highway (Segment) |publisher = National Park Service |date = July 31, 2013 |access-date = July 7, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140707182645/http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/feature/places/pdfs/13000543.pdf |archive-date = July 7, 2014 |url-status = dead }}</ref>

<ref name=PBS.Timeline>{{cite web |url = https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/alaska-timeline/ |title = Timeline: Alaska from Russian Colony to U.S. State |year = 2010 |work = [[American Experience]] |publisher = [[WGBH-TV|WGBH]]/[[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] |access-date = January 8, 2012 }}</ref>

<ref name=NYT.BlackSoldiers>{{cite web |website = The New York Times |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/24/science/in-alaska-black-soldiers-defied-armys-prejudice.html |title = In Road-Building, Black Soldiers Defied Prejudice |date = July 23, 2012 |access-date = September 10, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140313090400/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/24/science/in-alaska-black-soldiers-defied-armys-prejudice.html |archive-date = March 13, 2014 |url-status = live }}</ref>

}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
{{Attached KML|display=title,inline}}
* {{Internet Archive short film | gov.archives.arc.23437 | Alaska Highway }}
* [http://www.alaskahighwayarchives.ca/en/index.php Alaska Highway&nbsp;– A Yukon perspective]&nbsp;– From the Yukon Archives
* [http://www.milepost.com/ Alaska Highway Driving Facts]&nbsp;– From the authors of [[the Milepost]]
* [http://www.bellsalaska.com/alaska_highway.html Bell's Alaska]&nbsp;– mile by mile description of the Alaska Highway
* [https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/alaska/ Building the Alaska Highway] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100510084842/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/alaska/ |date=May 10, 2010 }}&nbsp;– Companion Website for the PBS program.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110118050414/http://alcan-highway.com/ Alcan-Highway.com]&nbsp;– U.S. Army 95th Engineer Regiment (Colored) building the Alcan Highway
* [http://blackartblog.blackartdepot.com/features/black-historical-facts/forgotten-facts-about-the-blacks-who-built-the-canada-highway.html Forgotten Facts About the African American Engineers Who Worked on the Alaska-Canada Highway] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160625034322/http://blackartblog.blackartdepot.com/features/black-historical-facts/forgotten-facts-about-the-blacks-who-built-the-canada-highway.html |date=June 25, 2016 }}&nbsp;– An article describing contributions made by the four African American regiments of the US Army Corps of Engineers that worked on the ALCAN Project
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=xNYDAAAAMBAJ&dq=popular+Mechanics+1942+Short+Cut+To+Tokyo&pg=PA28 ''Shortcut To Tokyo'', September 1942] one of the earliest articles on the Alaskan Highway
* [https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/24/science/what-you-need-to-know-to-travel-the-alaska-highway.html Many Wonders (but Few Amenities) on a Legendary Highway] July 23, 2012 ''[[The New York Times]]''
* [https://www.asce.org/about-civil-engineering/history-and-heritage/historic-landmarks/alaska-highway American Society of Civil Engineers - International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark]
* "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzwgqwqKqfQ&t=638s When Americans Built a Road Across Canada]". ''Canadiana'' – via YouTube

{{YTRoads}}
{{BCHighways}}

[[Category:U.S. Route 97]]
[[Category:Interstate Highways in Alaska]]
[[Category:U.S. Highways in Alaska]]
[[Category:State highways in Alaska]]
[[Category:Yukon territorial highways]]
[[Category:British Columbia provincial highways]]
[[Category:Pan-American Highway]]
[[Category:Transport in Whitehorse]]
[[Category:Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska]]
[[Category:Northern Rockies Regional Municipality]]
[[Category:Peace River Regional District]]
[[Category:Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks]]
[[Category:Territory of Alaska|Highway]]
[[Category:Transportation in Unorganized Borough, Alaska]]
[[Category:World War II sites in Canada]]
[[Category:World War II sites in the United States]]
[[Category:Logistics routes of World War II]]
[[Category:1942 establishments in British Columbia]]
[[Category:1942 establishments in Yukon]]
[[Category:1942 establishments in Alaska]]