The ALCan Highway Project

This web page, published by the Military Postal History Society, contains images of the single frame The ALCan Highway Project. This exhibit was created by, and is the property of the late Al Kugel, and is being supplied by his heirs as a courtesy to the Military Postal History Society.

Introduction

One of the great engineering feats of recent time was the construction of the 1,680-mile Alaska-Canada Military Highway in World War II. Prompted by the attack on Pearl Harbor and the J apanese invasion of Attu and Kiska Islands in the Aleutians, the U.S. decided it needed a land-based supply route to Alaska that would be safe from attack by Japanese submarines and surface vessels. The project would connect Dawson Creek, B.C. with Delta Junction, Alaska and was authorized on February 11, 1942. Construction by U.S. Army Engineers began on March 8, with orders to proceed as rapidly as possible. The so-called 'pioneer road' was completed on October 28, 1942. However, there were many problems with log bridges, melting permafrost and muskeg bogs, so that it was only passable by heavy-duty Army trucks until well into 1943. In fact, some sections had to be completely rebuilt, and work continued through most of 1944 even though the Japanese threat had receded, When the highway was turned over to civil authority in 1946, the route had been improved and shortened to 1,422 miles.

To view the text within these images, see: web page containing the text content of the exhibit frame.

Updated 11/9/2024