Alaska Route 2

Not to be confused with Interstate A-2.

Alaska Route 2 marker

Alaska Route 2
Elliott Highway
Steese Highway
Richardson Highway
Alaska Highway
Route information
Maintained by Alaska DOT&PF
Length: 456.91 mi[1] (735.33 km)
Major junctions
West end: Dead end in Manley Hot Springs
  AK-11 (Dalton Highway) at Livengood
Chena Hot Springs Road in Fox
AK-6 (Steese Highway) in Fox
AK-3 (George Parks Highway) in Fairbanks
AK-4 (Richardson Highway) in Delta Junction
AK-1 (Tok Cut-Off Hwy) at Tok
East end: Hwy 1 south (Alaska Highway) towards Whitehorse, YT
Location
Boroughs: Unorganized, Fairbanks North Star
Highway system
AK-1AK-3
Route 2, Delta Junction

Alaska Route 2 is a state highway in the central and east-central portions of the U.S. state of Alaska. It runs from Manley Hot Springs to the International Border, passing through Fairbanks and Delta Junction. Alaska Route 2 includes the entire length of the Alaska Highway in the state, the remainder of the highway being in the Yukon Territory and British Columbia , Canada.

Route description

Route 2 begins at a dead end near the Tanana River at Manley Hot Springs, where the Elliott Highway begins. Until the junction with the Dalton Highway (Alaska Route 11) at Livengood, Route 2 is a minor road used only for local access; beyond Livengood it carries traffic to and from the Dalton Highway. At the junction with Alaska Route 6 (Steese Highway) at Fox, the Elliott Highway ends and Route 2 follows the Steese Highway south into Fairbanks. The Steese Highway becomes the Richardson Highway at Airport Way, the former route of the Parks Highway (Alaska Route 3). The Parks Highway junction is now about a mile south along the Richardson Highway, which then leaves Fairbanks to the southeast. In Delta Junction, at the northwest end of the Alaska Highway, Route 2 leaves the Richardson Highway for the Alaska Highway, while the Richardson Highway continues south as Alaska Route 4. After passing the ends of the Tok Cut-Off Highway (Alaska Route 1) at Tok and the Taylor Highway (Alaska Route 5) just beyond, Route 2 becomes Yukon Highway 1 at the Canadian border.[2][3]

Interstate Highway System

Route 2 is an unsigned part of the Interstate Highway System east of Fairbanks. The entire length of Interstate A-2 follows Route 2 from the George Parks Highway (Interstate A-4) junction in Fairbanks to Tok, east of which Route 2 carries Interstate A-1 off the Tok Cut-Off Highway to the international border.[4][5] Only a short piece of the Richardson Highway in Fairbanks is built to freeway standards.

History

The Alaska Highway portion of Route 2 was once proposed to be part of the U.S. Highway System, to be signed as part of U.S. Route 97.[6]

Major intersections

BoroughLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
UnorganizedManley Hot Springs0.000.00Dead end
Livengood85.69137.90 AK-11 north (Dalton Highway)Southern terminus of Alaska Route 11 / Dalton Highway
Fairbanks North StarFox153.86247.61 AK-6 east (Steese Highway)Western terminus of Alaska Route 6; Route 2 takes on the Steese Highway name
FairbanksChena Hot Springs RoadInterchange
Farmers Loop Road
162.94262.23Johansen Expressway westEastern terminus of the Johansen Expressway
164.96265.48Airport Way westEastern terminus of Airport Way
165.75266.75South Cushman StreetInterchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
165.97267.10 AK-3 south (Parks Highway) Nenana, Denali ParkInterchange
167.28269.21Lakeview Drive, Old Richardson Highway – Cushman Business AreaInterchange with at-grade intersection eastbound; no westbound entrance
169.93273.48Badger RoadInterchange
North Pole177.50285.66Badger Road, Santa Claus LaneInterchange
Buzby Road / Dawson RoadInterchange
Laurance RoadInterchange
SalchaPrice Drive
UnorganizedDelta Junction259.28417.27 AK-4 south (Richardson Highway)Northern terminus of Alaska Route 4
Tok366.91590.48 AK-1 west (Tok Cut-Off Highway)Northern terminus of Alaska Route 1
Tetlin Junction379.36610.52 AK-5 north (Taylor Highway)Southern terminus of Alaska Route 5
International border456.91735.33 Hwy 1 east (Alaska Highway)Continuation into Yukon
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Plans

A 500-mile road reaching Nome in western Alaska has been proposed at various times. Such a road had been suggested as early as 1957.[7] From 2009 onward, there has been a more intense political debate. A detailed cost investigation was funded by the state government, which gave an estimated cost of $2.3 to $2.7 billion, or approximately $5 million per mile.[8][9] This price tag is higher than previously assumed. This has caused hesitation about the project. The debate is continuing in 2011.[10] A 35-mile extension to Tanana, Alaska is expected to be finished end of 2015. As of August 2015, no decisions have been made to start construction of further parts.

References

Route map: Bing / Google

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, March 13, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.