Ending at the Start

Following the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbour and the Aleutian Islands, the US government was concerned about the security of Alaska which, at that time, was only accessible by air and sea. In early 1942 they approved the construction of the Alaska Highway from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, to Delta Junction, Alaska. Work started in March 1942, and the 2,700 km road, over some seriously difficult terrain, was completed in October of the same year (note - it’s taking the NSW government 3 years to complete the 20km Coffs Harbour bypass). It cost $140 million and was carried out by 11,000 US Corps of Engineers soldiers and 16,000 civilians. To this day, a monumental engineering feat. Although we didn’t take the direct route, in our travels across Alaska, the Yukon and BC, we covered about 95% of the highway, finishing at the start point, Dawson Creek.Read more