Alaska Interstates

Overview

According to the Federal Highway Administration Interstate Highway Route Log and Finder List, Alaska has four Interstate highways that creates a 1,082.22-mile system in the northernmost state. Even though these routes are designated as Interstate highways, they are generally not constructed to Interstate standards and are signed as Alaska State Routes.

Route Southern/Western Terminus Northern/Eastern Terminus
Interstate A-3 – Anchorage Canadian Border – Yukon Territory
Interstate A-1 – Tok Junction Interstate A-4 – Fairbanks
Soldotna Interstate A-1 – Anchorage
Interstate A-1 – Palmer Interstate A-2 – Fairbanks

History

On December 31, 1981 the Federal Highway Administration approved the addition of the four Alaska Interstates between the following locations:

  • A-1 from the Alaska-Canada border near Northway west to A-2 at Tok Junction, south to A-4 near Glennallen and continuing west to A-3 at Anchorage.
  • A-2 from a junction with A-1 at Tok Junction west to A-4 and FAP-65 in Fairbanks.
  • A-3 from a junction with A-1 in Anchorage south and west to FAP-21 and FAP-22 in Soldotna via a junction with FAP-31 in the vicinity of Moose Pass.
  • A-4 from a junction with A-1 near Palmer northwest via Wasilla, Denali National Park and Preserve and Nenana to a junction with A-2 and FAP-65 in Fairbanks.

AASHTO then approved the numbering of the Alaska Interstates on June 28, 1982.1

For more details and pictures, see Oscar Voss’s Alaska Roads – Interstate ends photos. Thanks go to Oscar and Stephen Summers for assisting AARoads with information and for this page.

Sources:

  1. AASHTO – Route Numbering Committee Agenda, dated June 28, 1982, Portsmouth, NH.

Page updated May 17, 2016.

Route Information

Interstate A-1

  • Mileage – 408.23

  • Cities – Anchorage, Palmer, Tok Junction

  • Junctions –  in Palmer, in Tok Junction
  • State Routes –  Anchorage east to Tok Junction;  Tok Junction east to International Border

Interstate A-2

  • Mileage – 202.18

  • Cities – Anchorage, Palmer, Tok Junction

  • Junctions –  in Palmer,  in Tok Junction
  • State Routes –  from Tok Junction north to Fairbanks

Interstate A-3

  • Mileage – 148.12

  • Cities – Soldotna, Anchorage

  • Junctions –  in Anchorage
  • State Routes –  from Soldotna north to Anchorage

Interstate A-4

  • Mileage – 323.69

  • Cities – Wasilla, Denali National Park, Fairbanks

  • Junctions –  near Palmer,  in Fairbanks
  • State Routes –  from its junction with  near Palmer north to Anchorage

Total Mileage – 1,082.22

Source: December 31, 2017 Interstate Route Log and Finders List

1969 Official Alaska Highway Map showing the completed portions of the Alaska highway network.

Alaska 3 was the last to be built of the Interstate system within The Last Frontier. The incomplete stretch between Willow and Nenana in 1969 was augmented by the Alaska Railroad, which offered transportation for passenger vehicles.