Alaska Route 1

Last updated
Alaska 1 shield.svg
Alaska Route 1
Alaska Route 1
Route 1 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by Alaska DOT&PF
Length545.92 mi [1]  (878.57 km)
Major junctions
West endFerry Sign.svg Alaska Marine Highway in Homer
Major intersections
East endAlaska 2 shield.svg AK-2 at Tok
Location
Country United States
State Alaska
Boroughs Kenai Peninsula, Municipality of Anchorage, Matanuska-Susitna, Unorganized
Highway system
Alaska 98 shield.svg AK-98 Alaska 2 shield.svg AK-2

Alaska Route 1 (AK-1) is a state highway in the southern part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It runs from Homer northeast and east to Tok by way of Anchorage. It is one of two routes in Alaska to contain significant portions of freeway: the Seward Highway in south Anchorage and the Glenn Highway between Anchorage and Palmer.

Contents

AK-1 is also known by the named highways it traverses:

Route description

Alaska Highway 1, in the Chugach National Forest, approaching a snow-capped mountain range Seward Highway (1).jpg
Alaska Highway 1, in the Chugach National Forest, approaching a snow-capped mountain range

AK-1 begins at the Alaska Marine Highway's Homer Ferry Terminal at the tip of Homer Spit just south of the end of the Sterling Highway in Homer. It follows the entire Sterling Highway through Soldotna to the junction with the Seward Highway north of Seward, where it meets the north end of AK-9. There it turns north and follows the Seward Highway to its end in Anchorage, and follows the one-way pairs of Ingra and Gambell Streets and 6th and 5th Avenues, continuing east on 5th Avenue to the beginning of the Glenn Highway. AK-1 follows the entire length of the Glenn Highway, passing the south end of the George Parks Highway (AK-3) near Wasilla and meeting the Richardson Highway (AK-4) near Glennallen. A short concurrency north along AK-4 takes AK-1 to the Tok Cut-Off, which it follows northeast to its end at the Alaska Highway (AK-2) at Tok. [2] [3]

The majority of AK-1 is part of the Interstate Highway System; only the route between Homer and Soldotna does not carry an unsigned Interstate designation. The entire length of A-3 follows AK-1 from the Kenai Spur Highway in Soldotna to the turn in downtown Anchorage; there A-1 begins, running to Tok along AK-1. (A-1 continues to the Yukon border along AK-2, the Alaska Highway.) [4] [5] Only a short portion of the Seward Highway south of downtown Anchorage and a longer portion of the Glenn Highway northeast to AK-3 are built to freeway standards; the proposed Highway to Highway Connection would link these through downtown.

Major intersections

All exits are unnumbered.

BoroughLocationmi [1] kmDestinationsNotes
Kenai Peninsula Homer 0.000.00Land's End ResortDead end
0.090.14Ferry Sign.svg Homer Ferry Terminal To Alaska Marine Highway
Heath StreetSouthern terminus of Sterling Highway
Soldotna 81.03130.41 Kenai Spur Highway north – Kenai Southern terminus of Interstate A3
Chugach National Forest 138.18222.38Alaska 9 shield.svg AK-9 south (Seward Highway) Seward Northern terminus of AK-9; AK-1 transitions to Seward Highway
Hope Highway north – Hope
Municipality of Anchorage 179.72289.23 Portage Glacier Road east – Whittier, Portage Glacier
Old Seward Highway north
218.39351.46Southern terminus of freeway section
218.81352.14 Old Seward Highway  / Rabbit Creek Road
219.37353.04DeArmoun RoadSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
220.48354.83Huffman Road
221.45356.39Airport Sign.svg O'Malley Road To Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
222.96358.82Dimond Boulevard
223.66359.9576th AvenueSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
224.46361.23Dowling Road Dumbbell interchange
225.46362.84Tudor Road
226.01363.73
Old Seward Highway southInterchange; southbound exit only
Northern terminus of freeway section
20th AvenueNorthern terminus of Seward Highway
Mountain View DriveSouthern terminus of Glenn Highway
Southern terminus of freeway section
230.04370.21Bragaw Street
231.08371.89Boniface Parkway / Mountain View Drive – JBER-Elmendorf
231.84373.11Turpin StreetNorthbound exit and entrance
232.66374.43Muldoon Road DDI interchange
234.22376.94Arctic Valley RoadNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
235.71379.34 JBER-Richardson, Arctic Valley Via D Street
239.70385.76Eagle River Loop Road / Hiland Road
241.45388.58 Eagle River Via Old Glenn Highway
243.30391.55 North Eagle River Via North Eagle River Access Road
245.31394.79 South Birchwood Via South Birchwood Loop Road
248.73400.29 North Birchwood Via Birchwood Loop Road
249.73401.90 Peters Creek Via Voyles Boulevard
250.75403.54 North Peters Creek Via Lake Hill Drive
252.03405.60 Mirror Lake Via Old Glenn Highway and Paradis Lane
253.17407.44 Thunderbird Falls Via Old Glenn Highway; northbound exit and entrance
254.05408.85 Eklutna Via Eklutna Village Road
257.57414.52Old Glenn Highway
Knik River SFC James Bondsteel Bridge of Honor
Matanuska-Susitna 259.06416.92 Knik River Access
Palmer 263.32423.77Alaska 3 shield.svg AK-3 north Wasilla, Fairbanks Southern terminus of AK-3 (George Parks Highway)
Northern terminus of freeway section
Palmer-Wasilla Highway / Evergreen Avenue
Unorganized Glennallen 409.54659.09Alaska 4 shield.svg AK-4 south (Richardson Highway) Valdez Southern terminus of AK-4 concurrency; northern terminus of Glenn Highway and Interstate A3
Gakona 423.54681.62Alaska 4 shield.svg AK-4 north (Richardson Highway) Fairbanks Northern terminus of AK-4 concurrency; southern terminus of Tok Cutoff Highway
Tok 545.92878.57Alaska 2 shield.svg AK-2 (Alaska Highway) Fairbanks, Canadian Border
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Tok Cut-Off

I-A1.svg

Tok Cut-Off

Location GakonaTok
Length125 mi (201 km)
Existedc.1940–present

The Tok Cut-Off is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska, running 125 miles (201 km) from Gakona (on the Richardson Highway, 14 miles (23 km) north of Glennallen), to Tok on the Alaska Highway which had been constructed from Montana through Calgary, Alberta, through Whitehorse, Canada by Army engineers to move supplies and equipment, and to build airbases, to service the requirements of the Pacific theater, including transport of Lend Lease aircraft to the Soviet Union after its invasion by Germany.

The road was built in the 1940s through challenging terrain, largely by battalions of Black engineers, including the 97th Engineer Battallion. [6] in order to facilitate transport of World War II materiel in particular from ports such as Valdez and Anchorage to the interior. It was upgraded in the 1950s to better connect the Richardson Highway more directly with Tok. It was called a "cut-off" because it allowed motor traffic coming to and from Canada on the Alaska Highway, to drive directly northeast or southwest connect to or from Southcentral Alaska communities without driving all the way to or from the terminus of the Alaska highway in Delta Junction, then traveling northwest or southeast by the Richardson Highway, reducing 120 miles (190 km) from the trip.

The 2002 Denali earthquake caused significant damage to the Cut-Off, particularly between mileposts 75 and 83 where major cracks and embankment slumping left the roadway fundamentally destroyed. [7] [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

Tok, Alaska Census-designated place in Alaska

Tok is a census-designated place (CDP) in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 1,243 at the 2020 census, slightly down from 1,258 in 2010.

Gakona, Alaska CDP in Alaska, United States

Gakona is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Copper River Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census, the population of the CDP was 169, down from 218 in 2010.

Glennallen, Alaska CDP in Alaska, United States

Glennallen is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Copper River Census Area in the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census, the population of the CDP was 439, down from 483 in 2010. It is the most populated community in the census area.

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. It also connects segments of Alaska Route 1 between the Glenn Highway and the Tok Cut-Off. The Richardson Highway was the first major road built in Alaska.

The Glenn Highway is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska, extending 179 miles (288 km) from Anchorage near Merrill Field to Glennallen on the Richardson Highway. The Tok Cut-Off is often considered part of the Glenn Highway, for a total length of 328 miles (528 km).

George Parks Highway Highway in Alaska

The George Parks Highway, usually called simply the Parks Highway, runs 323 miles (520 km) from the Glenn Highway 35 miles (56 km) north of Anchorage to Fairbanks in the Alaska Interior. The highway, originally known as the Anchorage-Fairbanks Highway, was completed in 1971, and given its current name in 1975.

Sterling Highway Highway in Alaska

The Sterling Highway is a 138-mile-long (222 km) state highway in the south-central region of the U.S. state of Alaska, leading from the Seward Highway at Tern Lake Junction, 90 miles (140 km) south of Anchorage, to Homer.

The Seward Highway is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska that extends 125 miles (201 km) 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 Highway is numbered Alaska Route 9 (AK-9) for the first 37 miles (60 km) from Seward to the Sterling Highway and AK-1 for the remaining distance to Anchorage. At the junction with the Sterling Highway, AK-1 turns west towards Sterling and Homer. About eight miles (13 km) of the Seward Highway leading into Anchorage is built to freeway standards. In Anchorage, the Seward Highway terminates at an intersection with 5th Avenue, which AK-1 is routed to, and which then leads to the Glenn Highway freeway.

Port of Anchorage Port in United States

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Denali 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. Since 1971, primary park access has been via the Parks Highway, which incorporated a section of the Denali Highway from Cantwell to the present-day park entrance. The Denali Highway is 135 miles (217 km) in length.

Alaska Route 2 Highway in Alaska

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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 and infrastructure."

Portage Glacier Highway Highway in Alaska, United States

The Portage Glacier Highway, or Portage Glacier Road, is a highway located in the U.S. state of Alaska. The highway is made up of a series of roads, bridges, and tunnels that connect the Portage Glacier area of the Chugach National Forest and the city of Whittier to the Seward Highway. Most of the highway travels through mainly rural areas just north of the Kenai Peninsula, with the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel passing under Maynard Mountain, part of the Chugach Mountain Range. Parts of the route were first constructed in the early 1900s, and the entire highway was completed on June 7, 2000, as part of the Whittier Access Project. The main portion of the highway traveling from the western terminus to the Begich, Boggs visitors center is designated as National Forest Highway 35 by the United States Forest Service (USFS).

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Kenai Spur Highway Highway in Alaska

The Kenai Spur Highway is a 39-mile-long (63 km) highway on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. The road begins at a junction with the Sterling Highway in Soldotna and provides access to the towns of Kenai and Nikiski, dead-ending at the entrance to the Captain Cook State Recreation Area. Visitors traveling between the Homer area and these areas can bypass Soldotna and access the Spur Highway via Kalifornsky Beach Road. The highway is a four-lane undivided road inside of the cities of Soldotna and Kenai, and a two-lane road elsewhere. The northern section of the road is also known as the North Kenai Road. In 2018 the Federal Highway Administration approved a plan to extend the road by eight miles to improve access to remote homes in the area.

Fairview, Anchorage Neighborhood in Anchorage, Alaska

Fairview is a neighborhood in Anchorage, Alaska just east of Downtown Anchorage and west of the Merrill Field Airport. The area is a working-class neighborhood of approximately 7,200 residents, with a median household income of approximately $55,000 and a poverty rate of approximately 21%.

References

  1. 1 2 Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, Central Region General Log [ permanent dead link ], April 25, 2006 (Routes 110000 (Sterling Highway), 130000 (Seward Highway), 134150 (Ingra Street), 134600 (6th Avenue), 134440 (5th Avenue), and 135000 (Glenn Highway))
    Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, Northern Region General Log [ permanent dead link ], April 25, 2006 (Routes 135000 (Glenn Highway), 190000 (Richardson Highway), and 230000 (Tok Cut-Off Highway))
  2. Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, National Highway System Maps Archived 2009-07-27 at the Wayback Machine , April 2006
  3. Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, Alaska Traffic Manual Supplement Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine , January 17, 2003
  4. Federal Highway Administration, National Highway System Viewer Archived 2007-08-27 at the Wayback Machine , accessed August 2007
  5. Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, Dwight D. Eisenhower Interstate Routes Archived 2009-07-27 at the Wayback Machine , April 2006
  6. BUILDING THE ALASKA HIGHWAY Race and the Army During World War II, WGBH-TV . Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  7. Mark Yashinsky, ed. (2004). Denali, Alaska, Earthquake of November 3, 2002. Reston, VA: ASCE, TCLEE. ISBN   9780784407479. Archived from the original on 2013-12-31.
  8. Kagachi, Chihiro (2010). Last Frontier: A History of Alaska. London: Penguin.

Route map:

Template:Attached KML/Alaska Route 1
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