Alaska Highway

The Alaska Highway, also called the Alaskan Highway, Alaska-Canadian Highway or ALCAN Highway, is a road about 1,387 miles (2,232 km) long that runs from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, through Whitehorse, Yukon, to Delta Junction, Alaska. It was built in about eight months in 1942 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers as a wartime supply route after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and it was handed over to Canada for its Canadian section in 1946 [1].

Origins

A road linking Alaska to the continental United States was proposed in the 1920s and 1930s, but Canada resisted funding it. The Japanese threat after the attack on Pearl Harbor led to approval in February 1942 [1].

Construction

Construction began on March 9, 1942, and was completed on October 28 of the same year, a pace of about eight months. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built most of the road as a wartime supply route [1]. More than 10,000 men worked on it, about a third of them Black soldiers from segregated regiments, including the 93rd, 95th and 97th [1].

Route and Mileposts

The highway starts at Mile 0 in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, runs northwest through Whitehorse in Yukon and ends in Delta Junction, Alaska, at Historic Milepost 1422. Unofficially, the Richardson Highway continues for 96 miles from Delta Junction to Fairbanks, at Historic Milepost 1520 [1].

Length and Realignment

The road was about 1,700 miles long when completed in 1942, but later rerouting shortened it to the 1,387 miles measured in 2012 [1].

A Nickname

Work crews referred to it as the “oil can highway” because of the discarded fuel drums along the route [1].

Canadian Control

On April 1, 1946, the U.S. Army transferred control of the Canadian portion to the Canadian Army. Canada paid for maintenance and compensated the United States for associated assets, but did not pay for the highway itself [1].

Paving and Improvement

The highway was once a rough drive but is now paved from end to end. The Alaska section was paved in the 1960s, and the lower 50 miles of the Canadian portion were paved in 1959 [1].

Wartime Command

The Northwest Service Command, created in 1942, oversaw the highway, the White Pass railway operation and the Canol Project, a wartime oil pipeline effort [1].

Significance

The highway was the first overland route linking Alaska with the lower 48 states by road through Canada. It opened the territory to travelers and supplies and helped integrate Alaska into the national transport network [1].

The Wartime Context

After the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Japanese occupation of Aleutian islands in 1942, military planners wanted a secure supply route to Alaska that did not depend on shipping through the northern Pacific. Approval in February 1942 and a start only a few weeks later showed the urgency [1]. The highway was part of a broader program that included airfields along the Northwest Staging Route.

Workers and Conditions

More than 10,000 men built the road through forest, muskeg, permafrost and river valleys, working in extreme weather. About a third of the workforce were Black soldiers from segregated regiments, whose labor was essential to the speed of construction [1]. The scale of the effort and the short time in which it was completed are often cited as an engineering achievement of the war.

Route in Practice

From Dawson Creek, the road runs northwest across British Columbia and Yukon before entering Alaska and ending at Delta Junction. Beyond Delta Junction, the Richardson Highway leads to Fairbanks, which is why many travelers count Fairbanks as the end of the journey, at Historic Milepost 1520 [1].

Postwar Use

After the war the highway became a civilian route for travelers, trucks and tourists. It was upgraded and paved over the following decades and remains the main road link between Alaska and the rest of North America [1]. Rerouting has shortened the highway over time, and its Canadian section is maintained by Canada.

Cultural Significance

The highway is remembered for its wartime history, its role in opening the north to settlement and its place in the stories of Black soldiers who built it. It is also a symbol of cooperation between the United States and Canada [1].

FAQs

How long is the Alaska Highway? About 1,387 miles (2,232 km) as of 2012.

When was the Alaska Highway built? From March 9 to October 28, 1942.

Where does the Alaska Highway start and end? It starts at Dawson Creek, British Columbia, and ends at Delta Junction, Alaska.

Who built the Alaska Highway? The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with more than 10,000 men, about a third of them Black soldiers.

Why was the Alaska Highway built? As a military supply route after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Sources

1. Wikipedia: Alaska Highway

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 12, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue