Richardson Highway
Encyclopedia
The Richardson Highway is a highway in the U.S. state
of Alaska
, running 368 miles (562 km) from Valdez
to Fairbanks
. It is marked as Alaska Route 4 from Valdez to Delta Junction
and as Alaska Route 2
from there to Fairbanks. It is also connects segments of Alaska Route 1
between the Glenn Highway
and the Tok Cut-Off
. It was the first major road built in Alaska.
A pack trail from the port at Valdez to Eagle
, a distance of about 409 miles (660 km), was built in 1898 by the U.S. Army to provide an "all-America
n" route to the Klondike
gold fields. After the rush ended, the Army kept the trail open in order to connect its posts at Fort Liscum
, in Valdez, and Fort Egbert
, in Eagle
.
The Fairbanks gold rush in 1902, and the construction of a WAMCATS telegraph line along the trail in 1903, made the Valdez-to-Eagle trail one of the most important access routes to the Alaska Interior
, so in 1910, the Alaska Road Commission
upgraded it to a wagon road. The head of the project was U.S. Army General Wilds P. Richardson
, for whom the highway was later named. During the construction, the government hired failed gold prospector
s as well as regular construction workers. The income from this work allowed many of the prospectors to leave Alaska. Several roadhouse
s now on the National Register of Historic Places
were constructed along the route at this time.
The rise of motorized travel
led the road to be upgraded to automobile standards in the 1920s. To finance continued maintenance and road construction, the Alaska Road Commission instituted toll
s for commercial vehicles in 1933 of up to $175 per trip, which were collected at the Tanana River
ferry
crossing at Big Delta
. When the tolls were further increased in 1941 to boost business for the Alaska Railroad
, disgruntled truckers nicknamed "gypsies" started a rogue ferry service in order to evade the toll.
The Alaska
and Glenn
highways, built during World War II
, connected the rest of the continent and Anchorage to the Richardson Highway at Delta Junction and Glennallen
respectively, allowing motor access to the new military
bases built in the Territory
just prior to the war. The bridge at Big Delta, the last remaining gap, was built as part of the Alaska Highway project.
The southern end was only open during summers until 1950, when a freight company foreman who lived near the treacherous Thompson Pass
plow
ed the snow himself for an entire season to prove the route could be used year-round. The highway was paved in 1957.
The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System
, built in 1973-1977, mostly parallels the highway from Fairbanks to Valdez.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
, running 368 miles (562 km) from Valdez
Valdez, Alaska
Valdez is a city in Valdez-Cordova Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 4,020. The city is one of the most important ports in Alaska. The port of Valdez was named in 1790 after the Spanish naval officer Antonio Valdés y...
to Fairbanks
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...
. It is marked as Alaska Route 4 from Valdez to Delta Junction
Delta Junction, Alaska
Delta Junction is a city in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 897. The city is located a short distance south of the confluence of the Delta River with the Tanana River, which is at Big Delta...
and as Alaska Route 2
Alaska 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:...
from there to Fairbanks. It is also connects segments of Alaska Route 1
Alaska Route 1
Alaska Route 1 is a state highway in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Alaska. It runs from Homer northeast and east to Tok by way of Anchorage...
between the Glenn Highway
Glenn Highway
-References:* Pasch, A. D., K. C. May. 2001. Taphonomy and paleoenvironment of hadrosaur from the Matanuska Formation in South-Central Alaska. In: Mesozioc Vertebrate Life. Ed.s Tanke, D. H., Carpenter, K., Skrepnick, M. W. Indiana University Press. Pages 219-236.-External links:**...
and the Tok Cut-Off
Tok Cut-Off
The Tok Cut-Off is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska, running 125 miles from Gakona Junction on the Richardson Highway, 14 miles north of Glennallen, to Tok on the Alaska Highway....
. It was the first major road built in Alaska.
History
Eagle, Alaska
Eagle is a city located along the United States-Canada border in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, United States. It includes Eagle Historic District, a U.S. National Historic Landmark. The population was 129 at the 2000 census...
, a distance of about 409 miles (660 km), was built in 1898 by the U.S. Army to provide an "all-America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n" route to the Klondike
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...
gold fields. After the rush ended, the Army kept the trail open in order to connect its posts at Fort Liscum
Fort Liscum
Fort Liscum was a United States Army post in the Alaska Territory on the south shore of Valdez Bay, across from the modern site of Valdez, Alaska. It operated from 1900 to 1922.-History:...
, in Valdez, and Fort Egbert
Fort Egbert
-History:Fort Egbert was established in 1899, during the Klondike Gold Rush, as U.S. Army headquarters in the District of Alaska. It was named by U.S. President William McKinley in honor of Colonel Harry C...
, in Eagle
Eagle, Alaska
Eagle is a city located along the United States-Canada border in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, United States. It includes Eagle Historic District, a U.S. National Historic Landmark. The population was 129 at the 2000 census...
.
The Fairbanks gold rush in 1902, and the construction of a WAMCATS telegraph line along the trail in 1903, made the Valdez-to-Eagle trail one of the most important access routes to the Alaska Interior
Alaska Interior
The Alaska Interior covers most of the U.S. state's territory. It is largely wilderness. Mountains include Mount McKinley in the Alaska Range, the Wrangell Mountains, and the Ray Mountains....
, so in 1910, 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...
upgraded it to a wagon road. The head of the project was U.S. Army General Wilds P. Richardson
Wilds P. Richardson
Wilds Preston Richardson was an officer of the United States Army notable for being an explorer and geographer of Alaska in the early decades of the 20th century...
, for whom the highway was later named. During the construction, the government hired failed gold prospector
Prospecting
Prospecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking.Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which is an organised, large scale effort undertaken by mineral resource companies to find commercially viable ore...
s as well as regular construction workers. The income from this work allowed many of the prospectors to leave Alaska. Several roadhouse
Roadhouse (facility)
A roadhouse is a commercial establishment typically built on a major road or highway, to service passing travellers. Its meaning varies slightly by country.-USA:...
s now on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
were constructed along the route at this time.
The rise of motorized travel
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
led the road to be upgraded to automobile standards in the 1920s. To finance continued maintenance and road construction, the Alaska Road Commission instituted toll
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
s for commercial vehicles in 1933 of up to $175 per trip, which were collected at the Tanana River
Tanana River
The Tanana River is a tributary of the Yukon River in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to linguist and anthropologist William Bright, the name is from the Koyukon tene no, tenene, literally "trail river"....
ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
crossing at Big Delta
Big Delta, Alaska
Big Delta is a census-designated place in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 749 at the 2000 census...
. When the tolls were further increased in 1941 to boost business for 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...
, disgruntled truckers nicknamed "gypsies" started a rogue ferry service in order to evade the toll.
The Alaska
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...
and Glenn
Glenn Highway
-References:* Pasch, A. D., K. C. May. 2001. Taphonomy and paleoenvironment of hadrosaur from the Matanuska Formation in South-Central Alaska. In: Mesozioc Vertebrate Life. Ed.s Tanke, D. H., Carpenter, K., Skrepnick, M. W. Indiana University Press. Pages 219-236.-External links:**...
highways, built during World War II
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...
, connected the rest of the continent and Anchorage to the Richardson Highway at Delta Junction and Glennallen
Glennallen, Alaska
Glennallen is a census-designated place in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area in the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2000 census, the population of the CDP was 554.- Location :...
respectively, allowing motor access to the new military
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
bases built in the Territory
Alaska Territory
The Territory of Alaska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 24, 1912, until January 3, 1959, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Alaska...
just prior to the war. The bridge at Big Delta, the last remaining gap, was built as part of the Alaska Highway project.
The southern end was only open during summers until 1950, when a freight company foreman who lived near the treacherous Thompson Pass
Thompson Pass
Thompson Pass is a 2,805 foot-high gap in the Chugach Mountains northeast of Valdez, Alaska. It is the snowiest place in Alaska, recording of snow per year on average. In the winter of 1952–1953, of snow fell—the most ever recorded in one season at one location in Alaska...
plow
Snowplow
A snowplow is a device intended for mounting on a vehicle, used for removing snow and ice from outdoor surfaces, typically those serving transportation purposes...
ed the snow himself for an entire season to prove the route could be used year-round. The highway was paved in 1957.
The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System
Trans-Alaska Pipeline System
The Trans Alaska Pipeline System , includes the Trans Alaska Pipeline, 11 pump stations, several hundred miles of feeder pipelines, and the Valdez Marine Terminal. TAPS is one of the world's largest pipeline systems...
, built in 1973-1977, mostly parallels the highway from Fairbanks to Valdez.
Recent and future improvements
- During the 1990s, the highway was upgraded from FairbanksFairbanks, AlaskaFairbanks 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...
to the main gate at Eielson AFBEielson Air Force BaseEielson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska and just southeast of Moose Creek, Alaska....
, making this stretch a 4-lane divided road. Intersections with other roads, however, are still almost entirely at-grade.
- Under SAFETEA-LUSafe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for UsersThe Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users is a funding and authorization bill that governs United States federal surface transportation spending. It was signed into law by President George W. Bush on August 10, 2005, and expired as of September 30, 2009...
, Alaska Route 2Alaska Route 2Alaska 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:...
from the Canadian border to Fairbanks, comprising parts of the Richardson and AlaskaAlaska HighwayThe 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...
Highways, has been declared a High Priority CorridorIntermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency ActThe Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 is a United States federal law that posed a major change to transportation planning and policy, as the first U.S. federal legislation on the subject in the post-Interstate Highway System era...
(Corridor 67). What this means for the distant future is not yet certain; although SAFETEA-LU does explicitly provide federal funds for upgrading the road to 4 lanes and divided, from Salcha to Delta Junction.
Towns and places along the Richardson Highway
- ValdezValdez, AlaskaValdez is a city in Valdez-Cordova Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 4,020. The city is one of the most important ports in Alaska. The port of Valdez was named in 1790 after the Spanish naval officer Antonio Valdés y...
, no milepost (The MilepostThe MilepostThe 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...
lists it as 4 miles (6.4 km) from Mile 0) - Old Valdez (destroyed in Good Friday EarthquakeGood Friday EarthquakeThe 1964 Alaska earthquake, also known as the Great Alaskan Earthquake, the Portage Earthquake and the Good Friday Earthquake, was a megathrust earthquake that began at 5:36 P.M. AST on Good Friday, March 27, 1964...
), mile 0 (km 0) - Copper CenterCopper Center, AlaskaCopper Center is a census-designated place in Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 362.-Geography:Copper Center is located at ....
, mile 100 (km 162) - GlennallenGlennallen, AlaskaGlennallen is a census-designated place in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area in the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2000 census, the population of the CDP was 554.- Location :...
(Glenn HighwayGlenn Highway-References:* Pasch, A. D., K. C. May. 2001. Taphonomy and paleoenvironment of hadrosaur from the Matanuska Formation in South-Central Alaska. In: Mesozioc Vertebrate Life. Ed.s Tanke, D. H., Carpenter, K., Skrepnick, M. W. Indiana University Press. Pages 219-236.-External links:**...
), mile 115 (km 185) - GulkanaGulkana, AlaskaGulkana is a census-designated place in Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska, U.S. At the 2000 census the population was 88.-Geography:Gulkana is located at ....
, mile 127 (km 204) - Gakona Junction (Tok Cut-OffTok Cut-OffThe Tok Cut-Off is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska, running 125 miles from Gakona Junction on the Richardson Highway, 14 miles north of Glennallen, to Tok on the Alaska Highway....
), mile 129 (km 207) - PaxsonPaxson, AlaskaPaxson is a census-designated place in Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska, United States. As of the 2000 census, its population was 43. It is located on the Richardson Highway at the junction with the Denali Highway.-Geography:...
(Denali HighwayDenali HighwayDenali Highway is a lightly traveled, mostly gravel highway in the U.S. state of Alaska. It leads from Paxson on the Richardson Highway to Cantwell on the Parks Highway. Opened in 1957, it was the first road access to Denali National Park...
), mile 186 (km 299) - Isabel PassIsabel PassIsabel Pass is a gap in the eastern section of the Alaska Range which serves as a corridor for the Richardson Highway about 11 miles from Paxson....
, where the highway crosses the Alaska RangeAlaska RangeThe Alaska Range is a relatively narrow, 650-km-long mountain range in the southcentral region of the U.S. state of Alaska, from Lake Clark at its southwest end to the White River in Canada's Yukon Territory in the southeast... - Black Rapids RoadhouseBlack rapids roadhouseThe Black Rapids Roadhouse is a historic Alaskan structure along the Richardson Highway in east-central Alaska. It was built in 1902. Construction of the Alaska Railroad led to a decline in the 1920s, but the original roadhouse continued to operate until 1993...
- Fort GreelyFort GreelyFort Greely is a United States Army launch site for anti-ballistic missiles located approximately 100 miles southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska. It is also the home of the Cold Regions Test Center , as Fort Greely is one of the coldest areas in Alaska, and can accommodate cold, extreme cold, or...
, mile 261 (km 420) - Delta JunctionDelta Junction, AlaskaDelta Junction is a city in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 897. The city is located a short distance south of the confluence of the Delta River with the Tanana River, which is at Big Delta...
(Alaska HighwayAlaska HighwayThe 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...
), mile 266 (km 428) - Big Delta, AlaskaBig Delta, AlaskaBig Delta is a census-designated place in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 749 at the 2000 census...
and Rika's Landing RoadhouseRika's Landing RoadhouseRika's Landing Roadhouse, also known as Rika's Landing Site or the McCarty Roadhouse, is a roadhouse located at a historically important crossing of the Tanana River, off mile 274.5 of the Richardson Highway in Big Delta, in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, United States.The roadhouse...
, mile 275 - SalchaSalcha, AlaskaSalcha is a census-designated place in Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is part of the 'Fairbanks, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 854 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, mile 325 (km 524) - Eielson Air Force BaseEielson Air Force BaseEielson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska and just southeast of Moose Creek, Alaska....
, mile 341 (km 549) - North PoleNorth Pole, AlaskaNorth Pole is a small city in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Fairbanks, Alaska metropolitan statistical area. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated its population as of July 1, 2009 at 2,226. The name "North Pole" is often applied to the entire area covered...
, mile 349 (km 562) - FairbanksFairbanks, AlaskaFairbanks 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...
, mile 364 (km 586)