Haines Highway
Encyclopedia
The Haines Highway or Haines Cut-Off (and still often called the Haines "Road") is a highway
that connects Haines, Alaska
, in the United States
, with Haines Junction, Yukon
, Canada
, passing through the province of British Columbia
. It follows the route of the old Dalton Trail
from the port of Haines inland for about 180 km (111.8 mi) to Klukshu, Yukon, and then continues to Haines Junction. The highway is about 244 km (151.6 mi) long, of which 72 km (44.7 mi) is in Alaska
.
The highway was known as Yukon Highway 4 until 1978, when it was renumbered Highway 3. It has no number in British Columbia, but editions of The Milepost
up to at least 2004 list it as Hwy 4, a number actually in use on Vancouver Island
. The Alaska section is part of Alaska Route 7
.
. It was used by some prospectors during the Klondike Gold Rush
of 1898-1899; other mining kept the lower Dalton Trail active through the years following its establishment. The British Columbia provincial government converted its portion of the trail to a wagon road in 1909 when copper
mining
began at Copper Butte and Mt. Glave. In 1911, 30 tons of ore were shipped from the mines.
The highway was built by the U.S. Army in 1943 as an alternate route from the Pacific Ocean
to the Alaska Highway
, in case the White Pass and Yukon Route
railway from Skagway
should be blocked. The total cost of the construction was US$
13 million.
In the first decades after the war
, maintenance was spotty at best; the road was plagued with blizzard
s in winter and mudslides in summer, and for a time in the 1960s and 1970s, all vehicles traveling the highway were monitored on radio
. Year-round access was not achieved until 1963.
Complaints over the condition of the road, primarily in Alaska, led to the U.S. Congress
-funded Shakwak
reconstruction project. This project, covering the Haines Highway and the portion of the Alaska Highway
from Haines Junction to the U.S. border, began in 1976 and was mostly complete by the 1980s, but is still continuing, providing grade
improvements, rerouting of dangerous sections, and paving. Responsibility for maintenance is currently shared between the Alaska and Yukon governments.
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
that connects Haines, Alaska
Haines, Alaska
Haines is a census-designated place in Haines Borough, Alaska, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the area was 1,811. Haines was formerly a city but no longer has a municipal government...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with Haines Junction, Yukon
Haines Junction, Yukon
Haines Junction is a village in the Yukon, Canada. It is located at Kilometre 1,632 of the Alaska Highway at its junction with the Haines Highway, hence the name of the community. According to the 2006 Census the population was 589. It is next to Kluane National Park and Reserve...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, passing through the province of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. It follows the route of the old Dalton Trail
Dalton Trail
The Dalton Trail is a trail that runs between Pyramid Harbor, west of Haines, Alaska in the United States, and Fort Selkirk, in the Yukon Territory of Canada, using the Chilkat Pass. It is 396 km long....
from the port of Haines inland for about 180 km (111.8 mi) to Klukshu, Yukon, and then continues to Haines Junction. The highway is about 244 km (151.6 mi) long, of which 72 km (44.7 mi) is in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
.
The highway was known as Yukon Highway 4 until 1978, when it was renumbered Highway 3. It has no number in British Columbia, but editions of The Milepost
The Milepost
The Milepost is an extensive guide book covering Alaska, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and British Columbia. It was first published in 1949 as a guide about traveling along the Alaska Highway, often locally referred to as "The ALCAN". It has since expanded to cover all major highways in...
up to at least 2004 list it as Hwy 4, a number actually in use on Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
. The Alaska section is part of Alaska Route 7
Alaska Route 7
Alaska Route 7 is a state highway in the Alaska Panhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska. It consists of four unconnected pieces, serving some of the Panhandle communities that the Alaska Marine Highway ferries stop at, and connecting to the Alaska Highway in Yukon via the Haines Highway.-Route...
.
History
The route was originally a trail used by Chilkat Tlingit traders, which eventually became the Dalton TrailDalton Trail
The Dalton Trail is a trail that runs between Pyramid Harbor, west of Haines, Alaska in the United States, and Fort Selkirk, in the Yukon Territory of Canada, using the Chilkat Pass. It is 396 km long....
. It was used by some prospectors during the Klondike Gold Rush
Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush, also called the Yukon Gold Rush, the Alaska Gold Rush and the Last Great Gold Rush, was an attempt by an estimated 100,000 people to travel to the Klondike region the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1897 and 1899 in the hope of successfully prospecting for gold...
of 1898-1899; other mining kept the lower Dalton Trail active through the years following its establishment. The British Columbia provincial government converted its portion of the trail to a wagon road in 1909 when copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
began at Copper Butte and Mt. Glave. In 1911, 30 tons of ore were shipped from the mines.
The highway was built by the U.S. Army in 1943 as an alternate route from the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
to the Alaska Highway
Alaska Highway
The Alaska Highway was constructed during World War II for the purpose of connecting the contiguous U.S. to Alaska through Canada. It begins at the junction with several Canadian highways in Dawson Creek, British Columbia and runs to Delta Junction, Alaska, via Whitehorse, Yukon...
, in case the White Pass and Yukon Route
White Pass and Yukon Route
The White Pass and Yukon Route is a Canadian and U.S. Class II narrow gauge railroad linking the port of Skagway, Alaska, with Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon. An isolated system, it has no direct connection to any other railroad. Equipment, freight and passengers are ferried by ship through the...
railway from Skagway
Skagway, Alaska
Skagway is a first-class borough in Alaska, on the Alaska Panhandle. It was formerly a city first incorporated in 1900 that was re-incorporated as a borough on June 25, 2007. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city was 862...
should be blocked. The total cost of the construction was US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
13 million.
In the first decades after the war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, maintenance was spotty at best; the road was plagued with blizzard
Blizzard
A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong winds. By definition, the difference between blizzard and a snowstorm is the strength of the wind. To be a blizzard, a snow storm must have winds in excess of with blowing or drifting snow which reduces visibility to 400 meters or ¼ mile or...
s in winter and mudslides in summer, and for a time in the 1960s and 1970s, all vehicles traveling the highway were monitored on radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
. Year-round access was not achieved until 1963.
Complaints over the condition of the road, primarily in Alaska, led to the U.S. Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
-funded Shakwak
Shakwak Agreement
The Shakwak Agreement, also known as the Shakwak Project, is a highway construction funding accord between the United States and Canada, reached in 1976...
reconstruction project. This project, covering the Haines Highway and the portion of the Alaska Highway
Alaska Highway
The Alaska Highway was constructed during World War II for the purpose of connecting the contiguous U.S. to Alaska through Canada. It begins at the junction with several Canadian highways in Dawson Creek, British Columbia and runs to Delta Junction, Alaska, via Whitehorse, Yukon...
from Haines Junction to the U.S. border, began in 1976 and was mostly complete by the 1980s, but is still continuing, providing grade
Land grading
Grading in civil engineering and construction is the work of ensuring a level base, or one with a specified slope, for a construction work such as a foundation, the base course for a road or a railway, or landscape and garden improvements, or surface drainage...
improvements, rerouting of dangerous sections, and paving. Responsibility for maintenance is currently shared between the Alaska and Yukon governments.
Towns and places along the Haines Highway
- Haines, AlaskaHaines, AlaskaHaines is a census-designated place in Haines Borough, Alaska, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the area was 1,811. Haines was formerly a city but no longer has a municipal government...
, km 0/mile 0 - Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, km 15–50/mile 9–31
- Klukwan, AlaskaKlukwan, AlaskaKlukwan is a census-designated place in Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 139.-History:...
, km 34/mile 21 - U.S.United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
–CanadianCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
border, km 66/mile 41 - Chilkat PassChilkat PassThe Chilkat Pass is a mountain pass on the border of Alaska, United States, and the province of British Columbia, Canada, at the divide between the Klehini and Kelsall Rivers just northwest of Haines, Alaska. It is used by the Haines Highway and was the route used by the Dalton Trail during the...
(elevation 1,065m/3,493ft), km 102/mile 60 - British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
–YukonYukonYukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
border, km 145/mile 87 - Klukshu, Yukon, km 183/mile 112
- Haines Junction, YukonHaines Junction, YukonHaines Junction is a village in the Yukon, Canada. It is located at Kilometre 1,632 of the Alaska Highway at its junction with the Haines Highway, hence the name of the community. According to the 2006 Census the population was 589. It is next to Kluane National Park and Reserve...
, km 244/mile 152