Detour Ahead: Beaver Dam Failure Wipes Out Section Of ALCAN Highway

[advrider]

Ever come around a corner on a rural byway only to be confronted by a missing bridge—or even a missing roadway? That was the situation for travelers near mile… er, kilometer marker 898 along the Alaska-Canada Highway, better known as the ALCAN Highway, following a sudden washout on July 1.

According to local news outlets, heavy rain overwhelmed a beaver dam near Contact Creek in British Columbia, which broke and then tumbled down a hill, taking a lot of new debris with it, and blocked a culvert running under the roadway. The debris blocked the culvert running under the road and the water undermined the roadway, eventually leading to a nearly 250-foot long section washing out.

Photo: Yukon Highways and Public Works Twitter

Road crews were quick to get a detour in place, with a guide vehicle guiding traffic through a one-lane bypass.

The “official” Alaska-Canada Highway stretches almost 1,400 miles from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, to Delta Junction, Alaska, although some count stretches to Fairbanks, Alaska, as part of the road. It connects to other highways, such as Highway 11, heading north to Arctic Circle locales such as Prudhoe Bay.

Initially unpaved and considered a dangerous undertaking, the roadway was built in 1942 and opened to public use in 1948. It is now paved end to end. For many years before paving was complete, it was considered a dual-sport and adventure riding rite of passage. And while it isn’t quite the adventure it used to be (watch out for RVs), there are no shortage of connecting roads leading off into the vast wilderness for riders to explore.

The ALCAN Highway also connects to other Canadian and American highways, forming a continuous roadway from the Arctic Circle to the border of Panama, where the roadless Darien Gap has made overland passage to South America nearly impossible (if you give it a go, let us know if you survive).

Repairs to the affected section of roadway, known locally as Highway 97, are expected to take six to eight weeks.

Photos sourced from the Yukon Highways and Public Works Twitter account

 

 

 

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