| Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways | |
|---|---|
Shields for Interstates in Alaska | |
Interstates of Alaska highlighted in red | |
| System information | |
| Length | 1,082.22 mi[1] (1,741.66 km) |
| Formed | 1976 |
| Highway names | |
| Interstates | Interstate A-n (A-n) (unsigned) |
| State | Alaska Route n (AK-n) |
| System links | |
TheInterstate Highways in Alaska are all owned and maintained by the US state ofAlaska.[2] TheAlaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) is responsible for the maintenance and operations of theInterstate Highways. The Interstate Highway System in Alaska comprises four highways that cover 1,082.22 miles (1,741.66 km). The longest of these is Interstate A-1 (A-1), at 408.23 miles (656.98 km) long, while the shortest route is A-3, at 148.12 miles (238.38 km) long. All Interstates in Alaska are unsigned[3][failed verification] 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 forHawaii andPuerto Rico.[1] 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 under23 U.S.C. § 103(c)(1)(B)(ii).[4]
Most of the lengths of the Interstates in Alaska are not constructed toInterstate Highway standards but are small, rural, two-laneundivided highways. 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."[4] Some portions of these highways are built to Interstate standards, though. TheSeward Highway, part of A-3, is built to freeway standards inAnchorage.[5] TheGlenn Highway, which is part of A-1, is built to freeway standards from Anchorage toWasilla.[6] A very small portion of theGeorge Parks Highway, A-4, is constructed to freeway standards in Wasilla.[7] In and aroundFairbanks, theRichardson Highway, part of A-2, is constructed to freeway standards.[8] In addition to these highways, theJohansen Expressway, in Fairbanks, and theMinnesota Drive Expressway, in Anchorage, are constructed to expressway standards.
| Number | Length (mi)[1] | Length (km) | Southern or western terminus | Northern or eastern terminus | Formed | Removed | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 408.23[6] | 656.98 | Anchorage | Canadian border inAlcan Border | 01976-01-011976 | current | Glenn Highway,Richardson Highway,Tok Cut-Off,Alaska Highway[9][10][11][12] | ||
| 202.18[8] | 325.38 | Tok | Fairbanks | 01976-01-011976 | current | Alaska Highway,Richardson Highway[10][11][12] | ||
| 148.12[5] | 238.38 | Soldotna | Anchorage | 01976-01-011976 | current | Seward Highway,Sterling Highway[9][11][12] | ||
| 323.69[7] | 520.93 | Gateway,nearPalmer | Fairbanks | 01976-01-011976 | current | Parks Highway[9][10][11][12] | ||