Alaska Highway

Alaska Highway, road connecting Dawson Creek, British Columbia, with Fairbanks, Alaska. Formerly called the Alcan and the Alaskan International Highway, it is 2,424 km (1,506 mi) long and runs in a generally north-westerly direction. The highway, begun shortly after the United States entered World War II, was to provide an overland military supply route and to link airfields in Canada and Alaska. From March to November 1942 the US Army Corps of Engineers and contractors under the then Public Roads Administration constructed a pioneer trail. The following year an improved road, mostly on new alignment, was completed, in the main by private contractors. The Canadian section was turned over to Canada in 1946, and in 1948 the entire route was opened to civilian traffic. The 1,946-km (1,209-mi) section in Canada is generally surfaced with asphalt chip seal, while the Alaskan section has a hot-mix asphalt surface. The highway is open all year, with roadside services available along the entire route, although on a limited basis in winter.