Johansen Expressway
Encyclopedia
The Johansen Expressway is an approximately 4.5-mile long expressway in Fairbanks, Alaska
. The Johansen Expresway serves as a northern bypass to the city, and is notable for being the only highway in Alaska to have exit numbers. It was named in 1988 in honor of Woodrow (Woody) Johansen (1913–1991),
a professor of civil engineering
at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
and employee of the Alaska Road Commission
, and the Alaska Department of Highways
. As northern district engineer for the Department of Highways, he envisioned and designed the highway system around Fairbanks which was built between the 1970s and 1990s.
campus. From this point it continues east as a 4-lane expressway, passing through an interchange with Peger Road, providing access to commercial districts along Airport Way to the south. Johansen Expressway continues east, passing through an intersection with Danby Street, a major connection to residential areas to the north, and through a major interchange with College Road, providing a connection with Downtown Fairbanks and other outlying commercial and residential districts. After passing through two intersections leading to commercial developments, the Johansen Expressway ends at the Steese Highway
, an old gold-rush route that leads to the town of Circle
to the north.
. The corporate limits of the City of Fairbanks cross the Johansen Expressway at a point slightly west of Peger Road.
{| class=wikitable
!Mile
!Exit
!Roads intersected
!Notes
|-
|
|
|
AK-3 - George Parks Highway
|Grade-separated interchange - Chena Pump Road to southwest, Geist Road to northeast, then east.
|-
|
|
|University Avenue
(north to the University of Alaska Fairbanks
campus, College Road, Farmers Loop Road; south to Airport Way, Robert J. Mitchell Expressway, Fairbanks International Airport
, major shopping area)
|At-grade intersection. Geist Road begins westbound. Johansen Expressway begins eastbound.
|-
|
|2
|Peger Road
(north to the Alaska Railroad
yards and the remains of Phillips Field airstrip; south to Airport Way, Mitchell Expressway, Pioneer Park, Alaska State Troopers
post)
|Grade-separated interchange
|-
|
|3A
|Aurora Drive
|Westbound exit only. Exit ramp continues past Aurora Drive as Hanson Road.
|-
|
|3B
|Danby Street (north to College Road and Creamer's Field
),
Alaska Railroad Depot Road (south to Alaska Railroad depot and yards)
|Signed as exit 3B westbound
|-
|
|4
|College Road
|
|-
|
|
|Hunter Street
|At-grade intersection
|-
|
|
|Old Steese Highway
|At-grade intersection
|-
|
|
|
AK-2
, Steese Highway
|Expressway ends. Road continues eastbound, then northbound, as City Lights Boulevard.
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
. The Johansen Expresway serves as a northern bypass to the city, and is notable for being the only highway in Alaska to have exit numbers. It was named in 1988 in honor of Woodrow (Woody) Johansen (1913–1991),
a professor of civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Alaska Fairbanks
The University of Alaska Fairbanks, located in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, is the flagship campus of the University of Alaska System, and is abbreviated as Alaska or UAF....
and employee of the Alaska Road Commission
Alaska Road Commission
The Board of Road Commissioners for Alaska, more commonly known as the Alaska Road Commission or ARC, was created in 1905 as a board of the U.S. War Department...
, and the Alaska Department of Highways
Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities is a department within the government of Alaska. The Department of Transportation & Public Facilities provides for the safe movement of people and goods and the delivery of State services. It has its headquarters in Juneau.-External links:*...
. As northern district engineer for the Department of Highways, he envisioned and designed the highway system around Fairbanks which was built between the 1970s and 1990s.
Route description
The Johansen Expressway is a 4-to-6 lane expressway in Fairbanks Alaska. Most of the expressway is built with 4 lanes of traffic and the capability to upgrade to 6 lanes. The expressway begins as a continuation of Geist Road at an intersection with University Avenue near the University of Alaska FairbanksUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks
The University of Alaska Fairbanks, located in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, is the flagship campus of the University of Alaska System, and is abbreviated as Alaska or UAF....
campus. From this point it continues east as a 4-lane expressway, passing through an interchange with Peger Road, providing access to commercial districts along Airport Way to the south. Johansen Expressway continues east, passing through an intersection with Danby Street, a major connection to residential areas to the north, and through a major interchange with College Road, providing a connection with Downtown Fairbanks and other outlying commercial and residential districts. After passing through two intersections leading to commercial developments, the Johansen Expressway ends at the Steese Highway
Steese Highway
The Steese Highway is a highway in the Interior region of the U.S. state of Alaska that extends from Fairbanks to Circle, a town on the Yukon River about 50 miles south of the Arctic Circle. The highway was completed in 1927 and is named for U.S. Army General James G. Steese, a former president...
, an old gold-rush route that leads to the town of Circle
Circle, Alaska
Circle is a census-designated place in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 100....
to the north.
Exit list
The entirety of the route is in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, AlaskaFairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, 82,840 people, 29,777 households, and 20,516 families were residing in the borough. The population density was 11 people per square mile . There were 33,291 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...
. The corporate limits of the City of Fairbanks cross the Johansen Expressway at a point slightly west of Peger Road.
{| class=wikitable
!Mile
!Exit
!Roads intersected
!Notes
|-
|
|
|
AK-3 - George Parks HighwayGeorge Parks Highway
The George Parks Highway , usually called simply the Parks Highway, runs 323 miles from the Glenn Highway 35 miles north of Anchorage to Fairbanks in the Alaska Interior...
|Grade-separated interchange - Chena Pump Road to southwest, Geist Road to northeast, then east.
|-
|
|
|University Avenue
(north to the University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Alaska Fairbanks
The University of Alaska Fairbanks, located in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, is the flagship campus of the University of Alaska System, and is abbreviated as Alaska or UAF....
campus, College Road, Farmers Loop Road; south to Airport Way, Robert J. Mitchell Expressway, Fairbanks International Airport
Fairbanks International Airport
Fairbanks International Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located three miles southwest of the central business district of Fairbanks, a city in the Fairbanks North Star Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska....
, major shopping area)
|At-grade intersection. Geist Road begins westbound. Johansen Expressway begins eastbound.
|-
|
|2
|Peger Road
(north to the Alaska Railroad
Alaska Railroad
The Alaska Railroad is a Class II railroad which extends from Seward and Whittier, in the south of the state of Alaska, in the United States, to Fairbanks , and beyond to Eielson Air Force Base and Fort Wainwright in the interior of that state...
yards and the remains of Phillips Field airstrip; south to Airport Way, Mitchell Expressway, Pioneer Park, Alaska State Troopers
Alaska State Troopers
The Division of Alaska State Troopers is the state police agency of Alaska. It is a division of the Alaska Department of Public Safety . The Alaska State Troopers are a full service law enforcement agency and handle both traffic and criminal law enforcement...
post)
|Grade-separated interchange
|-
|
|3A
|Aurora Drive
|Westbound exit only. Exit ramp continues past Aurora Drive as Hanson Road.
|-
|
|3B
|Danby Street (north to College Road and Creamer's Field
Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge
Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge is an 1,800 acre bird sanctuary, located within the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska and partially within the city limits of Fairbanks. It consists of wetlands, fields, and forests...
),
Alaska Railroad Depot Road (south to Alaska Railroad depot and yards)
|Signed as exit 3B westbound
|-
|
|4
|College Road
|
|-
|
|
|Hunter Street
|At-grade intersection
|-
|
|
|Old Steese Highway
|At-grade intersection
|-
|
|
|
AK-2Alaska Route 2
Alaska Route 2 is a state highway in the central and east-central portions of the U.S. state of Alaska. It runs from Manley Hot Springs via Fairbanks to the Yukon Territory, including the entire length of the Alaska Highway in the state.-Route description:...
, Steese Highway
Steese Highway
The Steese Highway is a highway in the Interior region of the U.S. state of Alaska that extends from Fairbanks to Circle, a town on the Yukon River about 50 miles south of the Arctic Circle. The highway was completed in 1927 and is named for U.S. Army General James G. Steese, a former president...
|Expressway ends. Road continues eastbound, then northbound, as City Lights Boulevard.