How soldiers built the 1,500-mile Alaska Highway in eight months

Man and machine vs. the subarctic wilderness

Military tractor operators gouge pathways through thick forests and mountain valleys, battling swamps and brutal terrain to pave the route.

Bulldozers Flatten Virgin Forest to Carve the Alcan

Against all predictions, military engineers completed the pioneer road from Dawson Creek to Fairbanks in record time, opening critical supply lines for trucks.

The Impossible 8-Month Highway Breakthrough

At 40 below zero, stalled trucks froze solid into the ice

Active springs constantly erupted beneath the Alcan Highway, forming massive sheets of ice across the road. Crews chipped ice in severe cold, while stalled vehicles were swiftly frozen solid in place.

The Deadly Danger of Active Ice Springs

Suicide Hill: Where 24/7 tow crews rescued stranded trucks

Treacherous grades along the frozen highway caused heavy trucks to ditch out into snowbanks. Dedicated military tow trucks and checkpoint stations worked nonstop to keep the wartime supply line moving.

Towing Convoys Past Suicide Hill

From outlaw ghost town to vital wartime military port

Once ruled by frontier con man Soapy Smith during the Klondike Gold Rush, the decaying ghost town of Skagway was resurrected overnight as a vital deepwater port for military supply chains.

The Wild Gold Rush Ghost Town Revived by War

Archival footage documents the White Pass and Yukon Route and its role carrying supplies through mountain terrain.

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Riding the White Pass and Yukon Route

Riding the World's Most Dangerous Mountain Railroad

Ferrying combat planes directly to Russia

Northern flight strips and enlarged airports serviced red-starred warplanes heading straight to the Eastern Front. The secret Lend-Lease staging corridor became a vital lifeline during the global conflict.

Secret WWII Air Bridge to Russia

The largest bridge on the wartime highway

Engineers conquered harsh terrain to finish the 2,275-foot Peace River Bridge, completing a vital link on the Alaska Highway. Crowds of soldiers and brass bands celebrated its official opening in August 1943.

Opening the Mighty Peace River Bridge

How to build a highway over 60 feet of permafrost

Road builders had to prevent permafrost from melting into an impassable quagmire by burying the natural moss cover under rock fill and gravel to seal in the frost.

The Permafrost Engineering Secret

The moment the Alaska Highway was completed in 1943

Two bulldozer crews meet at dusk to close the final section of the Alaska Highway, capping off a monumental wartime construction project across 1,500 miles of wilderness.

The Moment the Alaska Highway Connected

[05:16] Bulldozers Flatten Virgin Forest to Carve the Alcan
[07:16] The Impossible 8-Month Highway Breakthrough
[09:28] The Deadly Danger of Active Ice Springs
[11:05] Towing Convoys Past Suicide Hill
[17:39] The Wild Gold Rush Ghost Town Revived by War
[19:26.000] Riding the White Pass and Yukon Route
[26:41] Secret WWII Air Bridge to Russia
[27:30] Opening the Mighty Peace River Bridge
[30:31] The Permafrost Engineering Secret
[31:49] The Moment the Alaska Highway Connected

How soldiers built the 1,500-mile Alaska Highway in eight months

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