Alaska Highway History
The Alaska Highway, also known as the Alcan Highway, was built during World War II as a strategic military route connecting the contiguous United States to Alaska. The need for the highway arose due to several factors, including the fear of a Japanese invasion, the need to bolster Alaska’s defense infrastructure, and the desire to improve transportation and logistics in the region.
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 highlighted the vulnerability of the US Pacific coast and its territories, including Alaska. With the Aleutian Islands being relatively close to Japan, there were concerns that the Japanese might attempt to invade Alaska, which could then be used as a base for further attacks on the US mainland. Moreover, Alaska’s strategic location between the US and the Soviet Union made it an important link for the Lend-Lease program, through which the US supplied military aid to its allies.
Given the urgent need to improve Alaska’s defenses and establish a reliable overland supply route, the US government decided to construct a highway connecting Dawson Creek in British Columbia, Canada, to Delta Junction in Alaska, near Fairbanks. This route would traverse Canadian soil, necessitating negotiations and cooperation between the US and Canadian governments.
The US government approached the Canadian government with the proposal to build the Alaska Highway. Although Canada initially had reservations due to the costs involved and concerns about US military presence on Canadian soil, the strategic importance of the highway and the potential benefits to Canadian infrastructure eventually led to an agreement. The Canadian government granted the US the right to build the highway through Canada, under the condition that the US would bear the cost of construction and return control of the Canadian portion of the highway to Canada after the war.
Construction of the Alaska Highway began in March 1942 and was completed in just over eight months, in November 1942. The project was a remarkable feat of engineering and logistics, as workers faced numerous challenges, including harsh weather conditions, rugged terrain, and the need to build the road quickly to address the wartime threat. Once completed, the 1,700-mile (2,700-kilometer) highway served as a crucial military and supply route, while also opening up new opportunities for economic development and tourism in the region.
After World War II, the US government fulfilled its agreement with Canada, transferring control of the Canadian portion of the Alaska Highway to the Canadian government. Over the years, the highway has been improved, paved, and realigned, and it continues to be an important transportation corridor connecting Alaska to the rest of North America.
1942 Construction Timeline
February 6: The United States Army receives orders to begin surveying and constructing a military highway to Alaska through Canada, following an agreement between the US and Canadian governments.
February 11: The US Army designates the construction of the Alaska Highway as the “Top Priority Project.”
March 9: US Army Corps of Engineers begins the construction of the Alaska Highway, with the official start point at Dawson Creek, British Columbia.
March: The US Army takes over the White Pass and Yukon Route (WP&YR) Railway, a narrow-gauge railroad connecting Skagway, Alaska, with Whitehorse, Yukon. The railway is used to transport troops, equipment, and supplies to support the highway construction.
March: Several army regiments are assigned to work on the highway, including the 18th, 35th, and 340th Engineer Regiments, as well as the 93rd Engineer Regiment, an African American unit.
April 29: The 35th and 340th Engineer Regiments begin construction on the highway’s most challenging section, the stretch through the Canadian Rockies.
May 12: The 18th Engineer Regiment begins construction on the eastern end of the highway in British Columbia.
June 1: The 93rd Engineer Regiment begins construction on the western end of the highway in Alaska.
September: The 18th Engineer Regiment completes its portion of the highway, having built about 500 miles (800 kilometers) of road.
September 24: The 35th and 340th Engineer Regiments complete the highway section through the Canadian Rockies.
October 25: The “Soldier’s Summit” ceremony is held near Kluane Lake in Yukon, Canada, to celebrate the completion of the highway connection between British Columbia and Alaska.
November 20: The official completion of the Alaska Highway is announced, with a total length of 1,700 miles (2,700 kilometers). The road is considered a remarkable engineering achievement, given the harsh weather conditions, rugged terrain, and the short time frame in which it was completed.
Following the completion of the highway, the US Army returned the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway to its owners in 1946, after the end of World War II. The railway continues to operate as a tourist attraction and is an important historical site related to the construction of the Alaska Highway.