Dalton

Construction and History

• The Dalton Highway, originally known as the Haul Road, was constructed by Alyeska Pipeline Service Company to support the development of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and to service the oil fields on Alaska’s North Slope. The initial stretch from Livengood to the Yukon River was begun in 1969-1970, but significant construction did not start until April 29, 1974, due to delays caused by Native land claims and environmental lawsuits.

Scope and Challenges

• The construction of the Dalton Highway and TAPS was a massive undertaking that faced numerous challenges, including harsh Arctic conditions, mountainous terrain, and environmental concerns. The project involved building 414 miles of road, 800 miles of pipeline, and associated facilities like pump stations and the Valdez Marine Terminal.

Timeline

• 1969-1970: Initial construction of the Haul Road began.
• 1971: Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act was passed.
• 1973: Environmental groups' lawsuits led to the passage of the Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act.
• April 29, 1974: Major construction on the road and pipeline commenced.
• September 29, 1974: The road from Prudhoe Bay to the Yukon River was completed.
• June 20, 1977: The pipeline was finished, and oil began flowing from Deadhorse to Valdez.

Workforce and Costs

• The project required a massive workforce, with approximately 70,000 workers involved over the course of the project. At its peak, there were 28,072 workers, including contractors and Alyeska employees.
• The total cost for the entire TAPS system, including the pipeline, roads, and facilities, was approximately $8 billion in 1977.

Materials and Logistics

• The construction involved significant material transport, including over 100,000 pieces of 48-inch diameter pipe, 550,000 tons of pipe shipped from Japan, and 73 million cubic yards of gravel. The project also required extensive soil surveys and archeological studies.

Post-Construction

• After the pipeline's completion in 1977, Alyeska transferred control of the Dalton Highway to the State of Alaska in October 1978. The highway was opened to public traffic up to Disaster Creek at Milepost 211 in 1981 and fully opened to the public in 1994.

Current Status and Maintenance

• The Dalton Highway remains a critical route for commercial truck traffic delivering supplies and fuel to the North Slope oil fields. It also attracts tourists, motorcyclists, and cyclists.
• Recent projects have focused on improving the highway, such as the two-year project from 2020 to 2021 to pave the last 50 miles of the highway, raising the road to protect against flooding and improving the driving surface.

Environmental and Geographical Considerations

• The highway traverses diverse terrain, including boreal forest, the Brooks Mountain Range, Arctic Foothills, and arctic coastal plain tundra. The region experiences extreme weather conditions, including low temperatures, limited daylight in winter, and constant daylight in summer.

Significant Events

• A notable event in the highway's history was the 2015 flooding of the Sagavanirktok River, which washed out sections of the highway and prompted significant reconstruction and elevation of the road to mitigate future flooding risks.

The Dalton Highway and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System represent one of the most ambitious and challenging infrastructure projects in modern history, reflecting the complexities of engineering, logistics, and environmental management in one of the world's most inhospitable regions.