The Interstate Highways in Alaska are all owned and maintained by the U.S. state of
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...
.
The
Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) is a department within the government of Alaska. Its headquarters are in Alaska's capital city, Juneau. The mission of Alaska DOT&PF is to "''Keep Alaska Moving through service ...
(DOT&PF) is responsible for the maintenance and operations of the
Interstate Highways. The Interstate Highway System in Alaska comprises four highways that cover . The longest of these is A-1, at long, while the shortest route is A-3, at long. All Interstates in Alaska are unsigned
and are not generally referred to by their highway numbers.
Interstates in Alaska follow the numbering system Interstate A-n, where n represents the number of the Interstate. This follows the similar numbering systems for
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
and
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
.
The Interstate Highway System was expanded to Alaska in 1976, by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1976, which defined the system for Interstates in Alaska and Puerto Rico under .
Most of the lengths of the Interstates in Alaska are not constructed to
Interstate Highway standards, but are small, rural, two-lane
undivided highway
A single carriageway (British English) or Undivided highway (American English) is a road with one, two or more lanes arranged within a one carriageway with no central reservation to separate opposing flows of traffic. A single-track road has a ...
s. Title 23 provides that "Highways on the Interstate System in Alaska and Puerto Rico shall be designed in accordance with such geometric and construction standards as are adequate for current and probable future traffic demands and the needs of the locality of the highway."
Some portions of these highways are built to Interstate standards, though. The
Seward Highway
The Seward Highway is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska that extends from Seward to Anchorage. It was completed in 1951 and runs through the scenic Kenai Peninsula, Chugach National Forest, Turnagain Arm, and Kenai Mountains. The Seward H ...
, part of A-3, is built to freeway standards in
Anchorage.
The
Glenn Highway, which is part of A-1, is built to freeway standards from Anchorage to
Wasilla
Wasilla ( Dena'ina: ''Benteh'') is a city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, United States and the fourth-largest city in Alaska. It is located on the northern point of Cook Inlet in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley of the southcentral part of the ...
.
A very small portion of the
George Parks Highway, A-4, is constructed to freeway standards in Wasilla.
In and around
Fairbanks, the
Richardson Highway
The Richardson Highway is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska, running 368 miles (562 km) and connecting Valdez to Fairbanks. It is marked as Alaska Route 4 from Valdez to Delta Junction and as Alaska Route 2 from there to Fairbanks. I ...
, part of A-2, is constructed to freeway standards.
In addition to these highways, the
Johansen Expressway, in Fairbanks, and the
Minnesota Drive Expressway
The Minnesota Drive Expressway is a south–north expressway located in the city of Anchorage, Alaska, United States. The expressway includes a small portion of O'Malley Road, which is also built to expressway standards. The highway travels fr ...
, in Anchorage, are constructed to expressway standards.
Routes
Gallery
Glenn Highway and Mount Drum.jpg, The Glenn Highway, eastbound near Glennallen, is part of Interstate A1.
Richardson Highway Badger Road Interchange.jpg, An interchange between the Richardson Highway
The Richardson Highway is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska, running 368 miles (562 km) and connecting Valdez to Fairbanks. It is marked as Alaska Route 4 from Valdez to Delta Junction and as Alaska Route 2 from there to Fairbanks. I ...
, part of Interstate A2, and Badger Road in Fairbanks.
Highway, bay, and mountains, Alaska.jpg, The Sterling Highway, westbound near Homer
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
, is part of Interstate A3.
Parks Highway to Fairbanks.jpg, The George Parks Highway, which comprises the entirety of Interstate A4.
See also
*
*
References
External links
Photos of Alaska Interstate Highway endsat AARoads' Interstate Guide
{{Interstates
Interstate
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...