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Shields used for Alaska Routes
Highway names
Interstates	Interstate A-n (A-n) (unsigned)
State	Alaska Route n (AK-n) or Route n
System links
Alaska Routes Interstate Scenic Byways

Alaska Routes are both numbered and named. There have been only twelve state highway numbers issued (1 through 11 and 98), and the numbering often has no obvious pattern. For example, Alaska Route 4 (AK-4) runs north and south, whereas AK-2 runs largely east and west, but runs north and south passing through and to the north of Fairbanks. The Klondike Highway, built in 1978, was unnumbered until 1998, when it was given its designation during the centennial of the Klondike Gold Rush. However, many Alaskan highways of greater length than the Klondike Highway remain unnumbered.

Mileposts, frequently used for road markers and official addressing in rural areas, are also more commonly reckoned by landmark names.

Within Alaska, roads are almost invariably referred to by name or general destination, and not by number(s).

Numbered routes often span multiple highway names. For example, AK-1 can refer to any of the Glenn Highway, Seward Highway, Sterling Highway, or Tok Cut-Off; meanwhile, portions of the Seward Highway are numbered AK-1, AK-9 and Interstate A3 (A-3).

Highways

U.S. Highways

The Alaskan portion of the Alaska Highway was proposed to be designated part of U.S. Highway 97 (US-97), but this was never carried out. Certain prior editions of USGS topographic maps, mostly published during the 1950s, do bear the US-97 highway shield along or near portions of the current AK-2.

Alaska numbered highways

Number	Length (mi)	Length (km)	Southern or western terminus	Northern or eastern terminus	Local names	Formed	Removed	Notes
AK-1	545.92	878.57	Marine Highway in Homer	AK-2 (Alaska Highway) in Tok	Sterling Highway, Seward Highway, Glenn Highway, Richardson Highway, Tok Cut-Off	—	—
AK-2	456.91	735.33	Dead end in Manley Hot Springs	Hwy 1 near Whitehorse, YT	Elliott Highway, Steese Highway, Richardson Highway, Alaska Highway	—	—
AK-3	323	520	AK-1 (Glenn Highway) in Gateway	AK-2 (Richardson Highway) in Fairbanks	George Parks Highway	01971-01-011971	current
AK-4	266	428	Marine Highway in Valdez	AK-2 (Alaska Highway) in Delta Junction	Richardson Highway	—	—
AK-5	109	175	AK-2 (Alaska Highway) in Tetlin Junction	Hwy 9 (Top of the World Highway) at Canadian Border	Taylor Highway, Top of the World Highway	—	—	Formerly continued north to end of Taylor Highway at Eagle.
AK-6	161	259	AK-2 (Elliot Highway) in Fox	River Road in Circle	Steese Highway	—	—
AK-7	150.0	241.4	Dead end in Ketchikan	Haines Highway at near Pleasant Camp, BC	Tongass Highway, Mitkof Highway, Glacier Highway, Egan Drive, Haines Highway	—	—	Segments in Juneau, Petersburg, and Ketchikan, connected by the Marine Highway
AK-8	135	217	AK-3 (George Parks Highway) in Cantwell	AK-4 (Richardson Highway) in Paxson	Denali Highway	—	—
AK-9	36.49	58.72	Railway Avenue in Seward	AK-1 (Sterling Highway) at Tern Lake junction	Seward Highway	—	—
AK-10	49.5	79.7	AK-4 (Richardson Highway) in Copper Center	Chitina	Edgerton Highway	—	—
AK-10	83.5	134.4	Marine Highway in Cordova	Dead end in McCarthy	Copper River Highway, McCarthy Road	—	—
AK-11	414	666	AK-2 Elliott Highway in Livengood	East Lake Colleen Drive in Deadhorse	Dalton Highway	01978-01-011978	current
AK-98	13.4	21.6	Marine Highway in Skagway	Hwy 2 near Fraser, BC	Klondike Highway	01998-01-011998	current

Alaska named highways

Highways listed below are not signed as numbered state routes.

Marine Highway system

The Alaska Marine Highway and several other Alaska highways or routes are recognized as "highways" eligible for federal funding by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The Marine Highway was declared a National Scenic Byway by the FHWA on June 13, 2002; and later declared an All-American Road on September 22, 2005.

The system is divided into different regions of service: Southeast, Cross-Gulf, Prince William Sound, South-Central, and Southwest.

Gallery

• The Glenn Highway, eastbound near Glennallen, is part of Interstate A1.
• An interchange between the Richardson Highway, part of Interstate A2, and Badger Road in Fairbanks.
• The Sterling Highway, westbound near Homer, is part of Interstate A3.
• The George Parks Highway, which comprises the entirety of Interstate A4.
• The Denali Highway has only 23 miles (37 km) of pavement, the remaining 123 miles (198 km) is gravel. The road is closed in the winter months.
• The Sterling Highway is a typical example of what is considered a highway in Alaska; four lane restricted-access routes are not used outside of the largest cities.
• Anchor Point claims the distinction of being the most westerly point on the contiguous highway system in North America.
• Alaska Peninsula Highway approaching "downtown" Naknek.
• Alaska Peninsula highway, just outside of King Salmon

See also

• List of British Columbia provincial highways
• List of Yukon territorial highways
• The Milepost

References

1. "History". Highway 97 in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, & California. Summit Solutions Ltd. 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
3. "Title 23 Section 218 United States Code" (PDF). U.S. Congress.
4. "New 2002 National Scenic Byways". Federal Highway Administration.
5. "New 2005 All-American Roads". Federal Highway Administration.
6. "AMHS Routes". Alaska Marine Highway System.
7. "AMHS Running Times". Alaska Marine Highway System.
8. "AMHS Schedules". Alaska Marine Highway System.

External links

• "Map of Alaska state highways and numbers" (PDF). from the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities

• Lists of roads in Alaska
• State highways in Alaska