Alaska Highway
Learn about the Alaska Highway, a key route connecting northwestern Canada and Alaska. It’s a main transportation route for local First Nations, residents, tourists and industry.
Lane closures and updates
This is a remote northern highway, and motorists should adapt their driving appropriately according to road conditions. Please watch out for wildlife. In the event of an emergency, such as a forest fire or extreme weather, the highway may be closed. Motorists will be advised by signage and flagging personnel.
Call 250-774-6956 to stay up to date on lane reductions and closures before you travel.
On this page
- Information for motorists and trucking traffic
- Current projects
- Recently completed projects
- About the highway
- History of the highway
- Related links
Information for motorists and trucking traffic
Kilometre (km) 0 of the Alaska Highway is at the traffic circle at Dawson Creek, British Columbia (B.C.). The Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) section starts at km 133 and ends at km 968, where the border to the Yukon begins.
The 4 variable message signs located on the highway at the following km markers display current and important information:
- km 130 (north of Fort St. John)
- km 449 (south of Fort Nelson)
- km 458 (north of Fort Nelson)
- km 965 (south of the Yukon border)
The Alaska Highway is a remote highway. Some areas offer limited or no cell coverage. Users are advised to plan ahead and check their fuel before travelling on remote sections of the highway.
Maintenance and repair
From June 1, 2025, to May 31, 2028, Ledcor Highways Limited has a contract to perform maintenance activities on and off the highway. Activities may include:
- traffic management and control
- highway inspection and monitoring
- highway surface maintenance
- highway drainage maintenance
- winter maintenance (such as snow clearing and salt application)
- roadside maintenance
- structure maintenance
For real-time updates on the road conditions of the highway between km 133 and km 968, visit Ledcor’s Facebook page.
Winter chain-up locations
- Sikanni: km 250 and km 258
- Steamboat: km 525 and km 545
- Peterson: km 676, km 687, km 695, km 729 and km 731
- Army Hill: km 844 and km 849
Cell phone coverage
- From km 133 to 555: Intermittent service, with no service in some areas
- Northwest of km 555 (near Tetsa River Regional Park) to the Yukon border: no cell phone service
Gas station locations
Gas station operating hours may vary daily and seasonally. Therefore, travellers should plan refuelling stops in advance.
Note
As of July 2025, operation periods may be subject to change. Please contact the service provider to confirm availability of services prior to your travel.
Summer
- Wonowon, km 161
- Pink Mountain, km 225
- Buckinghorse River, km 278
- Fort Nelson, km 455
- Rocky Mountain Lodge, km 605
- Toad River Lodge, km 648
- Double G Lodge, Muncho Lake, km 698
- Northern Rockies Lodge, Muncho Lake, km 708
- Liard Hot Springs Lodge, km 764
- Coal River, km 823
- Contact Creek, km 908
Winter
- Wonowon, km 161
- Pink Mountain, km 225
- Fort Nelson, km 455
- Toad River Lodge, km 648
- Double G Lodge, Muncho Lake, km 698
- Northern Rockies Lodge, Muncho Lake, km 708
- Liard Hot Springs Lodge, km 764
- Contact Creek, km 908
Truck size restrictions
Truck size restrictions apply at km 485 and km 968, with a maximum:
- height of 5.2 metres (m)
- width of 4.4 m
- length of 36 m (with permit)
Current projects
We inspect and assess bridges, culverts and road surfaces annually to ensure the highway remains safe.
Small culverts program
Over 4 years, we will repair and replace culverts along the Alaska Highway, targeting a different group of culverts each year.
The contract for year 1, worth over $4.3 million, was awarded to In-Line Contracting Partnership in August 2024 to work on 10 of the larger culverts. This includes:
- installing new pipe culverts
- repairing and decommissioning existing culverts
- installing erosion protection measures
- restoring environmentally disturbed areas
Work for these culverts will take place between km 313 and km 507, between Fort St. John, B.C., and Watson Lake, Yukon.
Work for year 1 has been completed. We anticipate work for year 2 to begin in fall 2025.
Asphalt overlay program
We launched a 3-year program to extend the service life of aging asphalt by applying surface treatments or overlays where cracking and rutting occur.
In May 2024, we awarded a contract worth over $13.5 million to Peters Brothers Construction Limited to repair 61 km of asphalt road surface from km 390 to km 451 as part of year 1 of the asphalt overlay program. Once the surface treatment has been completed, the area will have rumble strips installed and lines painted.
Work for year 1 has been completed. We are planning for year 2 work to occur in summer 2026.
Other ongoing projects
We plan and execute projects based on recommendations from regular inspection reports.
The most significant projects underway or planned include:
- km 133 to 968: small culvert program of work
- km 384: bridge culvert #3 rehabilitation
- km 780: Liard River erosion mitigation
- Muncho Lake and Liard River Sand and Salt Storage Facility replacement
- Tetsa Bridge deck repairs
Contamination assessment and clean up
Over the next 5 years, there will be more than 50 Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan projects on the Alaska Highway, with costs ranging from $25,000 to $2 million.
We will assess each site to determine contamination levels and need for cleanup.
For each project, the cleanup might involve tasks such as:
- carrying out excavation work
- transporting the waste to a disposal facility
- using an on-site bioremediation facility to treat the contamination
Recently completed projects
Learn about some of the projects we have completed lately, reflecting our commitment to protecting the safety of travellers through ongoing investments in our infrastructure.
Reclamation and surface treatment project
Several bituminous surface treatment (BST) sections of the Alaska Highway were deteriorating due to age and heavy commercial traffic.
In June 2023, we awarded a contract worth approximately $8.3 million (taxes included) to White Bear Industries to:
- conduct full-depth reclamation
- repair the BST sections of the highway between km 571 and km 957
This project was delivered in 2 phases, which were completed in fall 2024.
Sikanni Chief River Bridge fire repairs
The Sikanni Chief River Bridge suffered structural damage from a fire in summer 2022.
In July 2023, we awarded a contract worth approximately $4.2 million (taxes included) to Online Constructors Limited. The contract was to repair and replace fire-damaged parts, such as:
- the concrete of the girders, soffit, piers and abutments
- the bridge deck, joints and barriers
- the pier shafts and hammer heads
- the bearing
- the deck drain
As part of this project, 5% of the construction contract value was awarded to Indigenous suppliers, aligning with the mandatory requirements for federal departments and agencies.
Construction began in July 2023 and was completed in spring 2024.
Pink Mountain intersection improvements
The entry points near the Pink Mountain intersection from km 225 to 227 on the Alaska Highway were in need of improvements.
In October 2023, we awarded a contract worth approximately $3.9 million (including taxes) to A.C.L. Construction Limited, which included:
- adding acceleration and deceleration lanes to access the highway, as well as creating left-turn bays to reduce the risk of rear-end collisions
- closing secondary access points to the intersection to reduce blind spots and increase merging safety
- widening superelevation to reduce sliding hazards
- relocating signage and improving drainage
As part of this project, 12.5% of the construction contract value was awarded to Indigenous suppliers, aligning with the mandatory requirements for federal departments and agencies.
Construction work began in June 2024 and was completed in May 2025.
About the highway
The Alaska Highway stretches 2,450 km across northern B.C. and southern Yukon into Alaska. PSPC is the custodian for the 835 km of the highway that the Government of Canada is responsible for.
Description of the highway
The Alaska Highway is the principal land transportation link to northern B.C., the Yukon and Alaska from the rest of Canada and the lower 48 states of the United States (U.S.). Almost 80% (1,900 km) of the highway is in Canada:
- The Government of B.C. is responsible for the first section (km 0 to km 133)
- The Government of Canada is responsible for the section between km 133, north of Fort St. John in B.C., and km 968, at the B.C. and Yukon border
- The Government of Yukon is responsible for the remaining portion on Canadian soil
Operation of the highway
In addition to a maintenance and conversion program for the road surface, our program of work covers:
- 24 bridges
- 34 bridge-culverts
- 2,130 small culverts
- 10 maintenance yards
- 10 salt sheds
- numerous pits and quarries
As custodian of our portion of the highway, we are committed to:
- seeking opportunities to improve highway connections and the level of service for northerners
- ensuring the safe and continued operation of the Alaska Highway to support current and future projected traffic levels
- ensuring decommissioned road surfaces are properly and safely deconstructed
- cleaning up contaminated and abandoned sites (pre-1980s)
- improving intersections to reduce vehicle incidents
Impact
Our section of the Alaska Highway is vital to economic activity in northeastern B.C., the Yukon and northern Canada. It is a key route for travellers, providing access to remote regions and northern tourist destinations.
Relations with First Nations
Local First Nations have worked on and operate businesses associated with the highway. In recent years, we have strengthened ties with local First Nations, with many projects now including Indigenous Benefit Plans. We continue working with local First Nations to grow highway-related economic opportunities.
History of the highway
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the Alaska Highway in response to the bombing of Pearl Harbour. It was built to provide land access to Alaska from the lower 48 states during the Second World War. Local First Nations played a vital role during the construction of the highway, acting as guides through this difficult and remote territory.
1942: Construction began on the Alaska Highway:
- The construction of the Alaska Highway was considered the most expensive project of the Second World War, costing approximately $185 million at the time
- It took around 11,000 soldiers and engineers, about 16,000 civilians and 7,000 pieces of equipment to build the highway
- The original pioneer road was completed in 1942, taking just 9 months to connect Dawson Creek, B.C., to Delta Junction, Alaska
1943: The permanent location of the Alaska Highway was completed in 1943.
1946: After the Second World War, the U.S. Army transferred responsibility for the portion of the highway residing in Canada to National Defence.
1948: The opening of the Alaska Highway to civilian non-military use officially started.
1961: Responsibility for the section of the highway from km 0 (Dawson Creek) to km 133 (north of Fort St. John) was transferred to the Province of B.C.
1964: Responsibility for the remaining highway infrastructure and operations was transferred to PSPC.
April 1, 1992: The Government of Yukon assumed responsibility for the Yukon portion of the highway.
2022: The Alaska Highway turned 80.
Related links
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