Richardson Highway

The Richardson Highway runs from Valdez, Alaska to Fairbanks, Alaska. It is marked as Alaska State Highway 4 from Valdez to Delta Junction, Alaska and as Alaska State Highway 2 from Delta Junction to Fairbanks.

History

Beginning in 1899, the United States Army built a pack trail from Fort Liscum, at Valdez, on the south coast of Alaska, to Fort Egbert, at Eagle, northeast of what is now Fairbanks, a distance of about 660 km (409 miles).

In 1900, construction on a network of military telegraph lines began. Part of the network was a line from Fort Liscum, at Valdez, to Fort Egbert, at Eagle. Much of the pack trail was upgraded as part of that work. The trail was further improved in 1902 due to the rush to the gold fields near what is now Fairbanks. During the construction, the government hired destitute prospectors as well as regular construction workers. The prospectors received $50 per month plus board. The income from this work allowed many failed prospectors to escape Alaska. Several roadhouses now considered historic buildings were constructed along the route.

In the decade from 1910 to 1920, most of the traffic along the highway changed from pedestrians and animals to motor vehicles. To finance the highway maintenance, tolls were instituted for commercial vehicles in 1933 - passenger vehicles, carrying from 5 to 15 passengers, were charged $100 - $175 per trip. Freight trucks were charged by the ton of freight; in 1940 the rate was $9.27 per ton, which was charged at the south shore of the Tanana river ferry crossing at Big Delta, just north of what is now Delta Junction. A rogue ferry service started a little way downriver from the government ferry which allowed some travelers to avoid the toll.

The Alaska Highway was built during World War II to connect the Canadian highway system at Dawson Creek, British Columbia to the Richardson Highway at Delta Junction, allowing motor traffic to travel from the continental United States to Fairbanks. The Glenn Highway was also built during this time, connecting the largest Alaska city of Anchorage to the Richardson Highway at Glennallen. This made motor travel possible between the continental United States and Anchorage. This was done to supply the new military bases built in Alaska during World War II.

The last bridge on the Richardson Highway, the one at Big Delta, was completed as part of the Alaska Highway project.

Because it was thought to be impossible to keep the Thompson Pass section of the highway, just north of Valdez, open in the winter, the Richardson Highway was a summer-only highway until 1950. During the winter of 1949-1950, John Clarke, the chief foreman of a freight company, lived in Thompson Pass. He bulldozed the snow continually and proved to the public that the route could be used year-round. The government took over the bulldozing task after that year.

The Richardson Highway was paved in 1957.

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, bulit in 1973-1977, mostly parallels the Richardson Highway from Fairbanks south to Valdez.

See Also

• List of Alaska state highways