Alaska Highway

[LauraW]

I am thinking about a trip to Alaska this summer.
Can anyone tell me if the highway is now completely paved?
Thanks.

[Adrian W]

My understanding it is, but have not traveled it however.

I found this: "Today, almost all of the two-lane highway is surfaced with asphalt. But it’s no freeway. There still are stretches where the highway is narrow and curvy, where it lacks center lines and ample shoulders. Also, watch out for sudden loose-gravel breaks where the pavement has failed or is under repair. Sometimes the gravel gaps are marked with little, red flags; sometimes they aren’t. And that asphalt paving can ripple like a roller coaster track in places where “frost heaves” are caused by seasonal freezing and thawing of the ground." @ http://www.outwestnewspaper.com/akhwy.html


More info:
http://www.bellsalaska.com/myalaska/alaska_highway.html

http://www.bellsalaska.com/myalaska/highways.htm

[LauraW]

Hi Adrian
Thanks for your reply - I also have found some websites about the highway.
Some say it is all paved and some say it is mostly paved ... I did find one site that said paving was completed in 2006 - but another one said that there is still gravel in some sections of Northern BC.
I am hoping someone on this forum has actually driven the route and can give me a first-hand and current report.
Thanks again!

[Donna D.]

Laura, Joy A took a pretty extensive trip with her Scamp last year to Alaska. She's got a report here: Joy's Alaska Adventure. Try contacting her through e-mail of PM, I'm sure she'd impart any knowledge she has of the highway's conditions.

[Craig Nold]

Laura,
Is the Alaska Highway completely paved? No! It probably never will be. There will always be sections that are under construction but generally, it is hard surfaced in British Columbia and the Yukon with the exception of a few miles between Kluane Lake and the Alaska border. That section of the Alaska Highway will probably always be some type of hard packed gravel and due to altitude and latitude, it is always in a state of perpetual reconstruction.

In addition to Bell’s Alaska and The Milepost, there are two sites that have up to date information on the highways, campgrounds, and attractions. Explorenorth.com also has numerous links where you will find answers to all your questions and then some and if you think of one that isn’t covered, just e-mail Murray at: mwl@explorenorth.com
http://www.karo-ent.com
http://www.explorenorth.com
Murray’s web cam: http://www.yukonalaska.com/webcam/webcam/

[Al Bruce]

Craig:
We drove the Alaska Highway in 2003. Much of it is hard surfaced, but very little is up to the standards you are used to in the lower 48. The hard surface is rolled oil and rock and is entirely suitable for travel, albiet at a somewhat slower pace. We found 55 to be abt right. There are long stretches that are being redone every year due to winter frost heaving. Progress in these areas will be slow and dusty or muddy. The area above Kluane Lake is the focus of a special repaving project and you will most likely encounter some heavy work in the 100 miles or so of that project.
Do yourself a favor and rig up some kind of stone guard for the front of your trailer. We had mud flaps and a full length stone guard across the rear of our truck, but that was not enough. There are several products out there you can buy, but we just duct taped some lineoleum across the front of the trailer and it worked like a charm. Also wash your rig often. The Canadians use Calcium Chloride to hold the dust down in construction areas. When it gets wet it clings to everything it touches like mad and it WILL start corrosion on any metal it touches.
Above all, make the trip ! It is something you will never forget, and as long as you slow down you will have little if any problem. We had none in 15,280 miles! DO NOT listen to those that have not been there. There are lots of arm chair advisors out there that have no idea what they are talking about. Oh yes - make sure you get a copy of the MIlepost as a guide. It is indispensible for the trip.
I have some detail pics of the mods I made to my trailer. If you'd like to see them send me a PM.
Al

[Craig Nold]

Alaskans joke that the North has 4 seasons: fall, winter, spring and road construction. I prefer describing the highways as the Good, the Bad and the Ugly but even that is somewhat harsh. The truth is that the first thousand miles or so is excellent with a few very short sections where construction is likely in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The forty mile construction area between Champagne and Haines Junction, that we encountered in 2002 and again in 2004, was so bad when it rained that some travelers chickened out. That project has been completed but, even as I write this, frost heaves are taking a toll on the new pavement. Highway conditions can change in a few weeks or even days. Plan for the worst and be delightfully surprised when you find out that it is not all that bad.
For more info, check out the Alaska/Canada forum at: http://www.rv.net

[LauraW]

Thanks Everyone!
This information really helps - and yes, as soon as the new edition of the Milepost is out I will be ordering it from amazon.

[Joy A]

Laura,

This is Joy A. and I did travel to Alaska last summer. The Alaska highway is beautiful. It starts out at Dawson Creek quite wide with wide shoulders and the undergrowth cut way back from the road. As you travel along the road narrows, but not as narrow as our country roads here in the lower 48.

The Alaska Highway is paved all the way to Haines Junction and slightly past. Then you have a 200 or so miles of gravel of all sorts, then at the Alaska border the paved road begins again. The 200 or so miles of worst road was between Kluane Lake and the Alaska border in the northern Yukon. It was loose to hard pack gravel and dust when I went through around June 16. But on the way back through July 14 the loose gravel and dust was gone. It was a nice hard packed gravel road.

Now there are frost heaves at various points but I encountered them mostly through the Yukon and some in Alaska. There was road work, but not unlike what I had on most of the CA, OR, WA, and BC roads. During my 9635 miles I don't think I was on a road that didn't have some sort of road work which I first encountered about 100 miles from home. No extra tires required, other than the spare on the trailer and spare in the car.

For the most part the entire Alaska Highway, with exception of what I mentioned above, is in better condition (much better) than most rural roads here in California. Oh, I didn't find the Alaska Highway too curvy. Maybe if you live in Kansas and just drive on straight flat roads.

Having said all this it is a good thing to slow down when you get to No. BC and the Yukon, keep your eyes out for little flags (frost heaves). Drive slow, smell the flora and see the
fauna.

[LauraW]

Thanks alot Joy! That is exactly the kind of info I was looking for.
I have decided to go for it and am going to starting planning my trip to Alaska.
Happy Camping!

[bonnie w]

Laura, my gf and I did the trip the latter part of Aug. and beginning of Sept. Had the time of our lives I tell yah !! It was the first time taking my wee Ventura on the road, and I had pre-trip jitters. Like you I heard that there was going to be long stretches of gravel and all based on lies. It is called seal coat here where it isn't exactly pavement and it had road noise, but it was the best time of my life. Miles and miles of never seeing anyone. No one even to pass. I don't have mud flaps on my truck, and must install them. People along the way were sooooo friendly and glad to fill you in on any info you need. Unfortunately gas prices were at their highest so never pass the last gas station in a town without filling up. We once hit a motel/restaurant in the middle of nowhere and the prices were through the roof.

It took us two weeks to do the 6000 mi. return. I was on a mission to go back to where I had lived the first 9yrs. of my life in Whitehorse and Teslin. (that was exactly 50 yrs. ago!) Even met up with a couple of people that remembered me and my family. To do it again I would have taken the time to have been more of tourist in seeing the sights. Liard Hotsprings is a must. Have a super trip, and do a little research before departing finding out about what you would like to see and visit. Bonnie in Port Hardy

[jack smith]

Laura,
Having traveled the "Alcan" many times (first in '66) I can assure you that it is always an adventure! Most of the comments here have already been made.... accurately, I might add. There is always construction going on. Some stretches are smooth as (or better than..) some of the interstate hiways.... then, often without warning, you come upon a bad section. Just use common sense and don't get in a hurry! There are many large trucks on that road.... and most of them are really clipping along.... throwing gravel/stones into your windshield! So it's always best to slow down when you see one coming towards you and ease over to the right hand side of the road! I've only made it once without ANY windshield chips. That was in Feb of '04. (winter is actually my favorite time to drive it!)
Don't worry!! Have a safe and fun trip!
Jack

[Per Walthinsen]

Good information here, but my wife and I have another consideration also (about 2 years from now): She is particularly un-fond of mosquitoes and allergic to bee stings. Comments about time of year to travel when that is factored in would be most helpful, particularly about the mosquitoes.

(I don't like them either, but she attracts them from miles away).

[jack smith]

Good information here, but my wife and I have another consideration also (about 2 years from now): She is particularly un-fond of mosquitoes and allergic to bee stings. Comments about time of year to travel when that is factored in would be most helpful, particularly about the mosquitoes.

(I don't like them either, but she attracts them from miles away).

Per,
Once the ground thaws.... Lots O' Bugs! .... "Deep Woods Off" for 'skeeters is your friend! White Socks (sometimes called No-see-ums, or mee-mees) cannot be repelled! (cigar smoke works a little!) Wasps seem worse in the late summer or early fall. Your mileage may vary..... as the saying goes...

Jack

[Joy A]

Mosquitoes.....I had a few of them at Crooked River PP just north of Prince George. The only other place was Liard Hot Springs. I was there June 18th and it was so hot that I didn't feel like going into a Hot Spring, plus lots of Mosquitoes. I got the generator out and turned on the A/C and went inside. I left very early the next morning before the Skeeters awoke.

I have no real rememberence of mosquitoes after that other than maybe a few in Fairbanks. The weather there is warmer than the rest of Alaska.

The weather for the most part was in the 60's in Alaska with slight breezes and sometimes a little misty rain.

[LauraW]

Thanks everyone for your info!
I have received my copy of The Milepost and am starting to plan my trip.
As far as Mosquitos go - they are part of summer to me as I live in Alberta ... I always have repellant on hand and will carry a pop up screen room in case they are really troublesome.

[bonnie w]

A number of years ago we were at a campsite near Port Angeles. There was a Park Ranger giving us a nature talk. We all could hear the most annoying ringing/buzzing sound of something. Eventually a camper confessed it was a hearing aide that he wears to repel the mosquitoes !! He said he wasn't hard of hearing. Ok, ok great idea but wow drove everyone nuts.

At Liard Hot Springs last summer the skeeters were incredible. I donned my net hooded jacket, and it worked amazingly well. It seemed to draw attention to onlookers walking by especially children who were pointing at me. Not a pretty sight but I felt pretty smug inside there with the bugs buzzing around outside my face.