The road was originally built as a supply route during World War II. Although it was completed on October 28, 1942 and its completion was celebrated on that November 21, the "highway" was not usable by general vehicles until 1943. It was opened to unrestricted traffic shortly after the end of the war in 1947.
The Milepost, an extensive guide book to the Alaska Highway and other highways in Alaska and Northwest Canada, was first published in 1949 and continues to be published annually as the foremost guide to travelling the highway.
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