Information on the Famous Alaska Highway
Information on the Famous Alaska Highway
The famous Alaska Highway is one which links the lower 48 states to Alaska, and it was once considered as being really nothing more than a rough road for the adventurous. However, now the Alaska Highway is traveled by thousands of people each and every year, it is open year round, and all but a few miles of it are paved. Short delays may be experienced on the highway from time to time, but this is to be expected for general issues, including seasonal repairs and road maintenance.
More specifically, the highway is surfaced with asphalt; however, you do need to realize that this certainly does not mean that it is no regular freeway. There are stretches throughout where the road is going to be a rough ride, where the highway is narrow and curvy, and where it lacks center lines and ample shoulders. You also need to make sure to watch out for sudden loose gravel breaks where the pavement has failed, or when it is under repair. As long as you are cautious while driving on the highway however, you will be fine and should not experience any major travel problems.
Nicknamed the Alcan Highway, the Alaska Highway has undergone a rather recent upgrading process; one which is aimed at making the entire highway easier to travel over. Delta Junction, which is 98 miles south of Fairbanks, is 1,488 miles from Seattle, and the distance between Seattle and Fairbanks is 2,313 miles.
Then there is the western access route to Dawson Creek. The Alaska Highway from Seattle is by way of Interstate 5 to the British Columbia border, and then through the Caribou country of British Columbia to Prince George, B.C. Approaching from the east, the access route to Dawson Creek begins in Great Falls, Montana, and then goes on to extend through Calgary, Edmonton and Grande Prairie, Alberta. The distance from Great Falls to Dawson Creek is 866 miles, and because Canada is metric you need to remember to keep kilometers in mind when you are mapping daily drives.
Tours along the Alaska Highway
If you are interested in sight seeing along this route, there are various tours that you can go on which take you across the Alaska Highway, and most people consider this as being an essential part of any type of travel to this area of the world. The highway is renowned the world over after all, and so it is definitely a sight that you should take in if you ever travel to Alaska.