Alaska Highway safety improvements through Whitehorse
The Government of Yukon is developing plans to upgrade the Alaska Highway through Whitehorse. We’re doing this to address safety issues for vehicles and active transportation users. This will also accommodate increased traffic through the corridor.
These improvements are part of a multi-year project to upgrade sections of the corridor according to safety and traffic priorities.
Learn more about the:
- planned improvements to the Alaska Highway through Whitehorse; and
- upgrades we’ve completed.
What's happening
Robert Service Way
We’re looking at design options for the Alaska Highway and Robert Service Way intersection to:
- make it safer for all users; and
- improve traffic flow during peak times.
We’re considering 2 main options for this intersection. One of these options is to upgrade the intersection, the other is to build a roundabout.
Roundabouts are typically considered when designing upgrades to major intersections. They’re proven to improve traffic and safety by:
- requiring drivers to slow down;
- reducing high-severity collisions;
- making it safer for pedestrians and cyclists to cross; and
- providing continuous traffic flow.
The design options for this intersection are currently under review. Once we select an option, we’ll share more information.
Porter Creek and Crestview
We’ve installed pedestrian-activated crossing lights along the Alaska Highway. They’re located at the existing crosswalks on:
- 15th Avenue; and
- 17th Avenue.
Crossing lights activate when pedestrians push a button. Drivers are then expected to come to a stop in both directions so pedestrians can cross the road.
These are the first flashing pedestrian crossings of this type on the Alaska Highway. Similar flashing crossings are found around Whitehorse.
The crossing lights are operational as of January 2024.
Upcoming upgrades
Robert Service Way to Philmar RV
Once we choose a design option for the Robert Service Way intersection, we’ll plan for safety improvements between Robert Service Way and Philmar RV.
We’ll look at consolidating accesses to the Alaska Highway, which means reducing the number of points of entry to the highway. This makes the highway safer by limiting interactions between:
- slower vehicles turning on or off the highway; and
- faster vehicles travelling along the highway.
We also plan to upgrade the multi-use trails along the highway. That way, people of all ages and abilities will have a paved pathway to the Robert Service Way intersection.
View the 2021 conceptual drawings for this project. These drawings may change based on the design option for the Robert Service Way intersection.
Porter Creek and Crestview
This project will include widening the Alaska Highway through Porter Creek to 2 lanes in each direction.
We also plan to consolidate access to the Alaska Highway into new intersections to make accessing the highway safer. This will include realigning Centennial Street and Lodgepole Lane so drivers can access both roads from 1 intersection. We’ll also realign 15th Avenue and Birch Street so vehicles can enter the highway at a safer angle.
Other changes include building a new intersection with traffic signals at MacDonald Road. We’ll also remove direct access to the Alaska Highway from Laberge Road. We’ll replace it with a new frontage road that connects to the MacDonald Road and Wann Road intersections.
These changes will reduce the number of accesses to the highway in this section. This makes the highway safer by limiting interactions between:
- slower vehicles turning on or off the highway; and
- faster vehicles travelling along the highway.
Work will not begin on this project before 2025. Construction is expected to last over 2 years. We’ll announce the project timelines once they're confirmed.
Completed upgrades
As of fall 2023, we’ve completed the following projects.
Lodestar Lane to Robert Service
We’ve reconstructed the Alaska Highway near the Whitehorse weigh station between:
- Lodestar Lane; and
- Robert Service Way.
Part of the project included adding permanent pavement markings through the Whitehorse corridor.
This was completed in fall 2023.
Wann Road
We’ve installed an improved traffic light system at the Wann Road intersection. Drivers now have a dedicated signal to turn left from Wann Road onto the Alaska Highway. This makes the intersection safer and improves traffic flow.
This work was completed in fall 2022.
Lodestar Lane to Burns Road
We’ve improved the Alaska Highway between Lodestar Lane and Burns Road. This includes:
- a new frontage road;
- pedestrian-activated traffic signals at Burns Road and Hillcrest Drive; and
- new streetlighting.
Improvements also included a paved multi-use trail. The new trail connects to the existing trail around the airport into downtown and Range Road.
This work was completed in fall 2021.
North Klondike Highway and Cousins Airstrip rest stop
We’ve added new turning lanes to allow a safer access to the:
- North Klondike Highway intersection; and
- Cousins Airstrips rest stop.
We also added new streetlights in this area to improve visibility and sightlines for drivers in dark conditions.
This work was completed in fall 2020.
Range Road intersection
We’ve improved the Range Road intersection by including:
- new traffic lights; and
- a paved multi-use trail.
This work was completed in 2019.
Pioneer RV Park
We’ve built acceleration and deceleration lanes, as well as through lanes near the Pioneer RV Park.
This work was completed in fall 2017.
Carcross Cutoff
We’ve improved the intersection at the Carcross Cutoff by adding acceleration and deceleration lanes. We also built a new frontage road on the north side of the highway to consolidate accesses.
This work was completed in fall 2017.
Contact
For more information about the project, email hpw-info@yukon.ca.