Okay, now the reality of going to Alaska has finally set in.
This will be our road for the next 1,400+ miles. Exciting!
This special road was the engineering marvel of WWII and was once described as the largest and most difficult construction project since the Panama Canal (it took more than 11,000 soldiers and engineers, 16,000 civilians and 7,000 pieces of equipment with a cost of over $140 million).
It began as a truly wilderness trail in 1942. The difficult and exhausting work inspired one poet to write, "The Alaska Highway, winding in and winding out, fills my mind with serious doubt, as to whether 'the lout' who built this route, was going to hell or coming out!" But in less than nine months these hardy men managed to connect Dawson Creek, British Columbia and Delta Junction, Alaska.
We decided to take this interesting side road which gave us the unique opportunity to drive part of the original old Alaska Highway and to cross the curved, wooden, Historic Kiskatinaw River Bridge.
Considered an engineering coup at the time, this bridge is the only original timber bridge built along the Alaska Highway that is still in use today (512 feet long with a 9-degree curve to conform to the bend of the highway). We camped at the Provincial Park that protects the bridge.
We have read that cell service may be limited so more from the Alcan Highway when possible!
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1 comments:
Okay, I'm just laughing seeing you "run" out ahead of the Arctic Fox and staging the photo on the curved bridge. I guess not a lot of traffic. Happy trails on the Alaska Highway!
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