Quick Facts
- Route numbers: BC Highway 97, Yukon Highway 1, Alaska Route 2
- Connects: Dawson Creek, BC, to Delta Junction, AK
- Length: 1,390 miles (Historical Mile 1422)
- Road surface: Paved
- Road conditions: Fair to excellent. Watch for loose gravel, bumps, dips, frost heaves, and sections of narrow, winding road without shoulders. Also watch for road construction in summer.
- Season: Open all year
- Highest summit: Summit Lake, 4,250 feet
- Major attractions: Muncho Lake, Liard Hotsprings, Watson Lake Signforest, SS Klondike, Kluane Lake, Trans-Alaska Pipeline Crossing
Construction of the Alcan
The construction of the Alcan Highway took place during 1942-1943, in the Alaskan and Canadian Wilderness. 10,607 U.S. soldiers built a road 1,522 miles long in 8 months. 3,695 of these soldiers were Black men.
Prior to the Alcan highway initiative, African American units did not work under white supervision. When it was forseen that the highway would not be built in time if more troops were not available, Congress allowed three colored regiments (93rd , 95th, and 97th) to work alongside the non colored units. Due in part to the hard work and dedication of these men, African Americans were integrated into all military units in 1947.
Research/Discussion Questions
- American soldiers, including almost four thousand African-Americans, build the Alcan Highway during World War II. Where is this highway? Where does it begin and where does it end?
- What is the original length of the highway? What is its length today? Why do the lengths differ?
- The Alcan Highway is considered to be an engineering marvel. Why?
- The purchase of Alaska was known as “Seward’s Folly?” Who was Seward? Why was the purchase of Alaska considered a “folly?”
- In 1896, prospectors discovered gold in the Yukon Territory. How did the following “gold rush” change Alaska?
- What are the “lower 48?” Why are they called this?
- Both Canada and the United States preferred the “C” route over the “A” and “B” routes. Why? How did the routes differ?
- On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the US naval base Pearl Harbor. How and why did the attack at Pearl Harbor push the US into the project?
- The Army Corps of Engineers built the highway. Who are the Army Corps of Engineers?
- President Franklin D. Roosevelt assigned three African-American regiments to the project. Why did he do this? Why was this action so significant? What was the response to this action?
- The African-American soldiers who built the Alcan Highway, as well as all African-American soldiers before 1948, served their country under Jim Crow laws. What are Jim Crow laws? How do these laws conflict with the ideals of American freedom and the Constitution?
- Many of the soldiers suffered from frostbite. What is frostbite? How do you get frostbit? How can you prevent it?
- Discuss the process of building the Alcan Highway.
- The soldiers nicknamed the Alcan Highway “Oilcan Highway.” Why did they give the highway this name?
- Discuss the differences between the equipment and conditions of African-American soldiers and white soldiers.
- Discuss some of the difficulties the soldiers faced in building the Alcan Highway and the ways in which they overcame those difficulties.
