SR-9 | |||
Get started | Seward | ||
End | Moose Pass | ||
Length | 37 mi | ||
Length | 59 km | ||
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State Route 9, more commonly known as the Seward Highway, is a state route in the U.S. state of Alaska. The road connects the coastal town of Seward with Route 1 at Moose Pass. The road is 59 kilometers long.
- SEARCHFORPUBLICSCHOOLS: Provides a list of all public primary and high schools in Alaska, including street address, contact phone, and zip code for each school.
Travel directions
The Seward Highway.
Route 9 begins in the coastal town of Seward, located on the Gulf of Alaska. The setting is spectacular, with high snow-capped mountains and glaciers that extend into the sea. The road heads north through a spectacular valley and passes through several small villages. The road ends past Moose Pass on State Route 1, which continues to Anchorage.
- USPRIVATESCHOOLSFINDER.COM: Provides a list of all private primary and elementary schools in Alaska, including street address, contact phone, and zip code for each school.
History
The road has been constructed in three phases. In 1923, the first and southernmost section of Seward opened up to Kenai Lake. In 1928, the northernmost section opened between Moose Pass and Hope. For years there was a missing link between them, which left Seward isolated. This missing link was completed in 1951. The following year, the entire Seward Highway was paved.
During the great earthquake of 1964, a 20-mile stretch of road was submerged below the local high water level. Between 1964 and 1966, the road and bridges were raised or rebuilt to rise above that level again.
Traffic intensities
1,600 vehicles drive daily at Moose Pass.
Minnesota Drive Expressway
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Get started | Anchorage | ||
End | Anchorage | ||
Length | 7.5 mi | ||
Length | 12.1 km | ||
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The Minnesota Drive Expressway is a freeway in the U.S. state of Alaska. The highway forms a 12-kilometer north-south route through the largest city of Anchorage.
Travel directions
Minnesota Drive Expressway is an extension of Minnesota Drive. The highway parallels State Route 1 for some distance. The highway also begins near SR-1, running west for a few miles before turning north and passing west to Anchorage. The northern half of the highway has 2×3 lanes and passes east of the Anchorage airport. At Tudor Road, the highway turns into Minnesota Drive, which continues toward downtown, 2.5 miles away.
History
The road was built in the early 1950s as a divided highway, from the north to the south. The route has existed for its current length since 1985, but was only later upgraded to a freeway. The highway itself was built between 1989 and 2008. The southernmost part was the last to be made grade-separated. The parklo at the airport was built in the late 1990s.
Traffic intensities
Every day, 24,000 to 49,000 vehicles travel on the Minnesota Drive Expressway. The busiest part is at the airport.
Alaska Purchase
The Russian colony in Alaska was also known as Russian America.
The Alaska Purchase (English: Alaska Purchase) was the last major purchase of land by the United States. The purchase took place on March 30, 1873. During the purchase, the United States purchased the Alaska area from the Russian Empire. After the purchase, Alaska became a territory; Alaska was not incorporated as a state until 1959. Although the purchase of Alaska at first seemed like a bad decision, it later turned out that there was a lot of raw material in the soil of the area. Russia has owned Alaska since 1860 and some 6,000 Russians lived in the area. However, the colony was difficult to defend and yielded little profit. The Russians feared that the British, expanding their colony of Canada westward, would attack and take over Alaska. The Russians and British had been battling each other since the Crimean War over Russia’s expansion. Tsar Alexander II therefore ordered the area to be sold to the United States. The United States was interested in the area, but the Civil War made the Americans too busy waging war. This meant that negotiations could only take place after the war. President Andrew Johnsoneventually reached a deal to buy the area for $7.6 million ($110 million today). In the United States, people were dissatisfied with the purchase, as Alaska was not connected to the United States. However, the Americans believed that they could buy or take Canada from the British at some point. This would rule them over all of North America. Alaska was handed over to the Americans on October 18, 1867. The Russian settlers in the area almost all moved back to Russia. However, the US Secretary of State, who had negotiated the purchase, was soon seen as foolish. The area was thought to be virtually worthless. Because of this Alaska was also referred to as Seward’s ice chest. The purchase also led to tensions with the British, which were not resolved until 1903. At the end of the 19th century, Alaska turned out to be very valuable because of the many raw materials. As a result, the Americans have bought a very valuable area for a very low price.