Travel in Canada---roads paved or rock?

When we went to Alaska in '01 they were trying to figure out how to build roads on frozen tundra. The land is frozen year round but then you build a highway across it and the frozen swamp thaws and the road sinks into the swamp. The temporary fix is to dump in crushed stone. At that time they were looking at ways to insulate the road so the tundra didn't thaw. Probably most of that is gone now.

Edit: The state of Alaska, USA, has the same problem.

Most of Canada has roads equal to the roads in the US.

We went through Canada to Alaska a several years ago. No chips in paint or windshield at all. The worst windshield chips I received were on I-40 across the middle of the good ole USA.

Igloos?

When I lived in Northern Ontario only the well off could afford a real igloo. And that was back before global warming made everything comfy.

It has been my understanding that one had to purchase a special broken glass policy for windshields to be covered under insurance in Canada. Different everywhere. When I lived in NC same thing with a glass rider while here in Florida you're covered. All three times we've been to Alaska no glass problems except we did get a ding in Wyoming from some yahoo doing about 90mph thru a graveled construction Zone which pitched a stone over into our Wrangler's windshield.

AlbertaNewbie wrote:
Watch out for polar nears too, if you leave lots of money here we'll even let you pet a seal next to our igloos ;)

And if you go waaayyyy north of Regina, you can watch the Saskatchewan whale hunt, but only after the icebergs have gone downriver.:B

Apologies to the OP, we're just having a little fun with you. But it seems a lot of people think Canada is, well, different. We are very much the same as anywhere in the U.S. Prices are a bit higher, especially beer and gas.
The major difference is that we have more land mass than the U.S. but 10% of the population. California has more people than the whole of Canada (I believe)
I do hope you come up to visit and I'm sure you will have a very good time.

Paved vs unpaved roads in Canada in Kilometers in 2003

Paved Unpaved
Total 415.6 626.6 1,042.2 100.0 39.9 60.1
Source(s): Transport Canada, 2008, Transportation in Canada 2007: An Overview, Addendum, Catalogue no. TP 14816E, p. A85.

Unpaved 60.1%
Paved 39.1 %

Canada paved roads


Unites States paved roads % 67% in 2008

US Paved roads 2008

Watch out for polar nears too, if you leave lots of money here we'll even let you pet a seal next to our igloos ;)

I drove through Canada to Alaska one way in 2007, then back out in 2010. In a car for our family in the Air Force. The old days where you had to carry an extra set of tires, mount a brush bar, etc. etc. are over. The old ALCAN exists in only a few places. You can leave the Alaska Highway to visit it, but the AKHWY is a modern, although mostly two-lane, road. That said, there's enough gravel around that you may very well experience some windshield damage. We picked up a few medium size chips on the way in. On the way out, we picked up a large ding in the windshield. Actually pulverized the outer layer.
In North Country, AK and NW Canada, many vehicles are running around with damaged windshields. So I'd say something MAY happen. I can also promise you it's NO reason to stay home!
We entered CA at Glacier and went to Edmonton, then over to Dawson Creek. On the way out we took Top of the World HWY to Dawson City, down to Whitehorse, then Cassiar Highway from Watson Lake. Entered USA at Sumas WA. Two wonderful trips!

Took a trip to Indiana last summer, and the interstate thru Michigan was worse than any road I have experienced in 39 yrs of driving in Canada. Including our holiday trip to the east coast driving the Trans Can. I honestly thought the A frame would break off the trailer from thr constant pounding of the concrete joints. My extension mirrors even shook loose. I was sure glad to get home to my igloo.

I think the OPs statement is likely correct but misguided. MOST of the roads are not paved and MOST of the roads to Alaska are paved.

And there are a lot of miles on the Canadian Alaskan Highway that have a lot of rocks due to the chip seal type of pavement which are not swept off.

OP Protect your radiator and lights if you want. Some go further and protect the trailer. You've gotten some old information about the condition of the main roads. The Canadian roads are certainly not up to the quality of the US roads. Recommend you read the 2 threads Roll Call Alaska 2013... and Roll Call Alaska 2014... These lengthy threads have a lot of excellent information buried in them including real life road conditions.