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Haines Highway Improvements
Milepost 3.5 to 25.3 (Airport to Bluffs)

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF), in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), is proposing a project to upgrade the Haines Highway to current standards from Milepost 3.5 to 25.3. The Haines Highway, a designated Scenic Byway, connects the communities of Haines, Alaska and Haines Junction, Yukon Territory. This highway is one of two major highways out of the Southeast Alaska region, and is also an important international transportation system, as it connects the Alaska Marine Highway System in Haines with Canada.

The road, which was originally constructed in 1943, has been periodically upgraded over the years, with the portion from the Bluffs (mile 25.3) to the Canadian border (mile 40) being the most recently completed. During this last project, the design speed for Haines Highway was designated as 55 mph in order to make the U.S. and Canadian highways compatible.

The goal of this project is to bring the last portion of the Haines Highway up to National Highway System standards for design speed 55 mph by realigning, widening and straightening portions of the roadway. These upgrades will provide a safe, consistent and efficient roadway. DOT&PF is also planning to replace the existing Chilkat River Bridge, and is developing long-term solutions to debris flow problems near mileposts 19 and 23.

The first stage of this project, which began in August 2005, includes preliminary alignment analysis, scoping, and environmental review. The first stage was suspended in September 2006 due to shortfalls in state transportation funding. Work was restarted in November 2008 and is now scheduled for completion in July 2011. The project team has finalized the alignment analysis and is nearing completion of the environmental analyses and documentation.


• Funding for final design and construction of the first stage, Milepost 21 to 25.3 including replacement of the Chilkat River Bridge, is shown during Federal Fiscal Years 2011 through 2013 in the 2010-2013 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program.