Highways in Alaska
A Cursory Introduction
General Information
Alaska has twelve numbered routes, some of which are known -- depending on the section -- by as many as four names. Also, some named highways bear multiple numbers, and some have none. The best way to become familiar with highways in Alaska is to forget the numbers at first. Therefore, this quick rundown will discuss the named highways before talking about what numbers the state has given them.
This page has been linked by Wikipedia: List of Alaska state highways (external links).
The Alaska Highway
If you're driving to Alaska, you can't get there without putting rubber to pavement somewhere along the Alaska Highway -- unless you're content to visit only the southeast Panhandle, and what's the point of that? In fact, to get from the Panhandle to the Interior or anywhere else, you'll have to pass through British Columbia and the Yukon Territory. By the time it gets that serious, you'd better go ahead and buy a copy of The Milepost.
Anyway, the Alaska portion of the Alaska Highway extends (officially) from the Yukon border a few miles west of Beaver Creek, Yukon, to the highway's junction with the Richardson Highway at Delta Junction. The only major town between these two points is Tok, where you'll find a junction with the Tok Cut-Off extension of the Glenn Highway, the most direct route from the Alaska Highway to Anchorage and environs. If you don't turn off there, you can continue to Delta Junction and take the Richardson south and find the Glenn Highway for the trip to Anchorage. If you really want to go to Anchorage, and who does?
About 100 miles separates Delta Junction from the "traditional" north end of the Alaska Highway in Fairbanks. In truth, Fairbanks is the north end of the Richardson Highway. If you turn right at Delta Junction instead of left at either Tok or Delta, you'll wind up in Fairbanks. There's a milepost in Delta Junction at the visitors' center near the junction of the Alaska and Richardson highways, but Fairbanks has one of its own (last two photos on that page), on First Avenue between Cushman Street and the log cabin visitors' center downtown. There's something to Fairbanks' claim, since the whole point of building the Alaska Highway was to connect Fairbanks with the Lower 48 -- but Fairbanks was already linked with what would become Delta Junction before the U.S. Army started construction in 1943, so there was no need to build any of the Alaska Highway beyond Delta.
The Glenn Highway
Originally, the Glenn Highway only extended to the Richardson, but the section extending to Tok was added to cut miles off the trek between Anchorage and the Lower 48. Because it is not part of the original Glenn Highway mileage, it is still known as the Tok Cut-Off. Important points along the Glenn include Tok, Glennallen, Gulkana, and Anchorage. During the last several miles before reaching Alaska's largest city, the Glenn travels down the Matanuska Valley, one of the state's most famous agricultural areas (although Delta Junction and areas around Fairbanks are also farmed). Together with the Susitna Valley to the west, the Matanuska makes up what Alaskans call the "Mat-Su," which is increasingly coming under the influence of Anchorage -- as is the rest of the state.
The Richardson Highway
One of the Interior's oldest roads, this highway links Fairbanks with the port city of Valdez -- the latter best known for such disasters as the 1964 Good Friday earthquake that necessitated the relocation of the entire town, and the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 that occurred while the tanker was attempting to find its way into the harbor at its namesake city. I'm sure it's a beautiful place, but I never made it down that far.
Important points between Fairbanks and Valdez include Delta Junction; Summit Lake and nearby Paxson (eastern terminus of the Denali Highway); Glennallen; and Copper Center. Summit Lake marks the point where the highway crosses the divide between the Delta River (which feeds the Tanana River at Delta Junction, after which the Tanana River flows into the Yukon River) and the Copper River (which empties into the Gulf of Alaska just east of Prince William Sound).
The Edgerton Highway
This is one of Alaska's spur highways, branching off from the Richardson south of Copper Center and dead-ending at the Copper River village of Chitina -- a popular salmon dipnetting area.
The Copper River Highway
Another spur highway, this one begins at the town of Cordova, in the easternmost fringe of the Prince William Sound area, and crosses glacial streams to reach the Copper River delta before turning upriver and ending at the "Million Dollar Bridge."
The Seward Highway
Where the Glenn Highway ends in downtown Anchorage is where the Seward Highway begins. After crossing Alaska's largest city southward, the Seward skirts Turnagain Arm on its way to the Kenai Peninsula and the seaside town of Seward -- which by the way is the southern terminus of the Alaska Railroad. I've been down this road as far as Turnagain Pass just inland from the Arm on the northern Kenai, and the scenery once you get clear of urban Anchorage is fantastic.
Important points south of downtown Anchorage include Girdwood; Portage (once a town of sorts until destroyed in the Good Friday quake -- now it's where you turn off to drive to Whittier on Prince William Sound); Tern Lake Junction (eastern end of the Sterling Highway); and of course Seward.
The Sterling Highway
Extends from the Tern Lake Junction to Homer at the west end of the Kenai Peninsula. The one major town along the way is Soldotna.
The Parks Highway
Extending from Fairbanks to the Glenn Highway north of Anchorage, this highway serves Denali National Park in addition to being the most direct road between Alaska's two largest cities. It also has the odd distinction of having no zero milepost; its mileage is calculated from the south end of the Glenn Highway, so that mileposts from north to south accurately reflect the remaining mileage to downtown Anchorage. (It's possible that the Sterling Highway is the same way, but I haven't had the opportunity to find out.)
From Fairbanks southward, motorists will encounter the towns of Nenana, Anderson, Healy, Cantwell, and a series of Mat-Su towns that includes Willow, Houston and Wasilla. The entrance to Denali Park lies between Healy and Cantwell (which is the west end of the Denali Highway).
The name "Parks Highway" is unrelated to the fact that Denali Park lies along its length; it is named after George Parks, a territorial-era governor of Alaska.
The Denali Highway
The Denali Highway was constructed to provide road access to Denali Park from what was the only road into the Interior at the time, the Richardson Highway. (The park is also served by the Alaska Railroad, which was far more popular than driving -- until the Parks was completed.)
In recent years the state has engendered considerable controversy by proposing to extend the short length of pavement near Paxson; to the best of my knowledge nearly all of this highway remains unpaved.
The only point of non-scenic interest between Paxson and Cantwell is the Susitna Lodge. This is one of Alaska's lonelier drives, and the highway is closed during the winter.
The Steese Highway
Another spur highway, the Steese is one of only three roads in Alaska that extends to the Yukon River. It begins in Fairbanks as a four-lane expressway and one of the city's major north-south connectors, but after topping the ridge north of town and descending toward Fox, the road shrinks to the more normal two-lane configuration. At Fox, where it junctions with the Elliott Highway, the Steese turns right, ascends up a canyon and climbs Cleary Summit before descending into the valley of the Chatanika River and then passing what passes for the community of Chatanika. Several miles on, pavement ends.
Towns along the way after that include Central and Circle. The latter is the end of the road, a Yukon River community that was named mistakenly for being at the Arctic Circle. In fact, the town lies well upriver of where the Yukon briefly crosses north of the Arctic Circle (at Fort Yukon).
The Elliott Highway
Travelers leaving Fairbanks in search of the Arctic Circle and points still farther north don't make that right turn at Fox; you need to reach the Dalton Highway to make this journey, and its southern terminus is near the northernmost point along the kinked route of the Elliott Highway. This road is paved to about the point where it leaves the Fairbanks North Star Borough, and is well-maintained gravel up to the junction with the Dalton near Livengood. From there the Elliott turns southwestward to end ultimately at the Tanana River settlement of Manley Hot Springs. I have been told that the stretch between the Dalton junction and Manley is in nowhere as good a condition as the rest.
Interesting places along the way include Olnes (pronounced "ole-ness"), once a stop on the gold-rush-era Tanana Valley Railroad; and Livengood, once an important gold mining area but now virtually abandoned except for a highway department maintenance camp. Services are few and far between here, but there is the Hilltop Truck Stop just five miles or so out of Fox (a decent place to stop and do business at, but you wouldn't want to have to camp out in the parking lot there -- but that's a whole 'nother story). Another store and gas station was present up near the Tolovana River area in 1998 when I was last up that way.
The Dalton Highway
Alaska's greatest modern road adventure. Constructed for the crews building the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, the "Haul Road" as it is still sometimes known was opened to the public as far as the southern edge of the Prudhoe Bay oilfields in the mid-1990s. Today tour buses traverse its 400-plus miles giving tourists a relatively convenient opportunity to see the Yukon River, the Arctic Circle, the Brooks Range and the North Slope, and their only chance to see the Arctic Ocean at Prudhoe Bay -- private motorists are barred from entering the oilfield complex between the Dalton and the beach.
Because of the interest in these remote places, as well as because the road is still the only way to get supplies to the oilfields by truck (there being no rails, and air shipping being $upremely expen$ive), the gravel surface is maintained in excellent shape for the conditions, and the road is kept open year-round. Travelers are urged to plan for their trips, however, in the same way Alaska Highway travelers once had to prepare for that drive, back before the older road was paved.
Interesting places include Yukon Ventures, Inc., which operates a multi-service location at the north end of the bridge over the Yukon River; Coldfoot, another place with a wide range of services -- this one north of the Arctic Circle, which means I never made it that far; and Atigun Pass, where the road crosses from the Interior to the North Slope.
Given the remoteness of the country you may be surprised at how much traffic you may encounter on the Dalton. You may also be surprised to learn that from Fairbanks to the Arctic Circle and back can be a one-day drive -- provided there are no mishaps. To plan properly for any venture into this wilderness, you must obtain a copy of the latest edition of The Milepost.
Addendum: If you believe the visitor materials from the Fairbanks Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Dalton Highway's bridge is the only highway bridge over the Yukon River. Not so.
The Taylor Highway
The Taylor is the third of the three Alaska highways that extend to the Yukon River (the Steese and Dalton being the other two), ending at Eagle. It is unpaved, and closes every winter. The southern terminus is at Tetlin Junction east of Tok along the Alaska Highway. Besides Eagle, the Taylor also serves the village of Chicken, so named (according to legend) because residents couldn't spell "ptarmigan" -- which, by the way, is what any exotic comestible in Alaska is said to taste like.
Beyond Chicken is Jack Wade Junction, the western terminus for the Top of the World Highway.
The Top of the World Highway
Between Jack Wade Junction and the Klondike Gold Rush town of Dawson, Yukon Territory, this road is the northernmost highway border crossing between the U.S. and Canada. The Canada portion is Yukon 9.
The Haines Highway
Providing highway access between the Panhandle town of Haines and the Alaska Highway, this road is known on the Canada side as the Haines Cut-Off Highway. Its northern terminus is at Haines Junction, Yukon. Because there is no direct road access to Juneau, Alaska's capital city, and because only legislators themselves are reimbursed for flying to Juneau for the annual 120-day session, legislative aides usually drive to Haines and use the state ferry system to reach Juneau.
The Klondike Highway
Closely following the route of the "Trail of '98," by which Klondike stampeders travelled from Skagway to Dawson, this highway crosses into Canada via White Pass and reaches the Alaska Highway near Whitehorse. From there, the road to Dawson is also known as the Klondike Highway.
The Tongass Highway
Extending north and south of Ketchikan on Revillagigedo Island in the Panhandle region. Links to other highways only by way of the state ferry system.
The Zimovia Highway
Extends south of Wrangell on Wrangell Island in the Panhandle region. Links to other highways only by way of the state ferry system.
The Mitkof Highway
Extends south of Petersburg on Mitkof Island in the Panhandle region. Links to other highways only by way of the state ferry system.
The Glacier Highway
Extends north of Juneau to Echo Cove in the Panhandle region. Linked to the Douglas Highway through Juneau by a bridge across Gastineau Channel.
The Douglas Highway
Extends north from Douglas on Douglas Island in the Panhandle region. Linked to the Glacier Highway through Juneau by a bridge across Gastineau Channel.
By the Numbers
If you never have to consult a map to find your way around on Alaska's highways, the above should be enough. But a highway map of Alaska will show the highways by the numbers, so it won't hurt you to know which numbers go with which highways -- or portions of highways. Not all of these highways have numbers.
Highway 1
Extends from Tok in the Interior, to Homer in the Kenai Peninsula. Includes the entireties of the Tok Cut-Off, Glenn Highway, and Sterling Highway; also includes that portion of the Seward Highway between Anchorage and Tern Lake Junction.
Highway 2
Extends from the Canadian border to Manley Hot Springs, all in the Interior. Includes the entireties of the Alaska portion of the Alaska Highway, and the Elliott Highway. Also includes the northern stretch of the Richardson Highway, as well as the portion of the Steese Highway between Fairbanks and Fox.
Highway 3
The Parks Highway, and in Fairbanks the Mitchell Expressway across the southern side of town to the north end of Richardson Highway and south end of the Steese.
Highway 4
The southern portion of the Richardson Highway, extending from Delta Junction to Valdez.
Highway 5
The Taylor Highway.
Highway 6
The Steese Highway, except for the southernmost segment between Fox and Fairbanks.
Highway 7
According to some maps, this number is applied to all Panhandle-region highways except the Douglas (near Juneau) and the Klondike (north from Skagway). In my Alaska Atlas and Gazetteer from DeLorme (1992), Highway 7 does include the Mitkof, Glacier and Haines highways. Note that all are served by the state ferry system, which undoubtedly accounts for their all being given the same number.
Highway 8
The Denali Highway.
Highway 9
That portion of the Seward Highway south of Tern Lake Junction.
Highway 10
This number seems to have been applied to both the Edgerton and Copper River highways, and may imply an intention on the part of the state to link the two highways. This would result in Cordova joining the mainland road system -- at present its only "highway" access to the rest of Alaska is by the state ferry system.
Highway 11
The Dalton Highway. AARoads.com claims this is the highest-numbered state highway in Alaska, but the Alaska portion of the Klondike Highway is Route 98. I made the same mistake (see below).
Highway 98
Previously, I had this to say about the Alaska portion of the Klondike Highway:
The Klondike Highway in Canada is numbered, being designated, for example, as Highway 2 in the Yukon Territory. On a AAA map obtained in 1994 the Alaska portion was designated as Highway 98, but this numbering has not shown up anywhere else that I've seen, and those other maps that do put a number on the Alaska portion call it Highway 2. Not having been on this road I can't say for certain that there aren't signs designating it Alaska 2 (or for that matter, Alaska 98), but I am inclined to doubt it.
My doubts about the existence of an Alaska state highway 98 have been cleared up, thanks to Jim Teresco, from whose website I lifted the image at right. Teresco took a road trip to Alaska in the summer of 2001, which included a drive down the Klondike Highway from near Whitehorse to Skagway, and then on down the panhandle region via the state ferry system, known as the Marine Highway. While driving to Skagway he took the photo you see. The question is settled.
Unnumbered Highways
The Yukon Territory also has a number designation for its portion of the Top of the World Highway (Yukon 9) but I have never seen any map showing an Alaska highway number on it. Also, the Douglas Highway near Juneau does not, to my knowledge, have a number.
Other Alaska-related highway websites include this Alaska trip report at Jim Teresco's "Why do you have so many pictures of Road Signs?", and Oscar Voss' Alaska Roads.
|
