Top of the World Highway

Since 2012, the Chicken to Jack Wade Junction (mile 66 to 96) portion of the Taylor Highway had significantly improved (this is the portion that is the issue of the topic).....a couple road bypasses and slightly wider roadway in some spots made the road much nicer, the nicest that I experienced the past two times I driven it without cringing anymore between mile 86 to Jack Wade Jct. in my camper rig.

Driving the opposite direction from Dawson to Chicken I never cringed as driving downhill to Walker Fork and downhill to Chicken to me was a lot nicer than driving up hill in my camper rig in the past before the improvements.

In 2010 the roadway was so saturated my posts made me look like a drama queen, as I passed thru there 10 days before the roadway gave way in 4 places and closed down for about two months before reopening via pilot car escort...

In 2008 it was a record rainy season in the interior as I driven the route and the roadway held up better than what I experienced in 2010, and the frost heaves on the Alaska Highway in 2010 between Burwash Landing and the border was the worst condition I ever seen it.

I driven this route in 1992, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2014 to Dawson as only in 1992 I did not drive it in my camper rig.

In 2003 I did drive my camper rig to Jack Wade Jct., however I proceeded all the way to Eagle.

Boundary Spur Road (13 mile stretch Jack Wade Jct. to the border) had a first time makeover and fully paved roadway which is really nice as it was redone in 2014....what used to take me over an hour driving time as I drive pretty slow over bumps and uneven surfaces on Boundary Spur Road now takes me only 15 minutes to make it to Customs.

Back in 1992, none of the entire route was paved or wide - however in 2006 I seen many portions of the Taylor Hwy. paved from mile 0 at Alaska Hwy. all the way to Mosquito Fork at mile 64, two miles from Chicken.

After permitted entry into Canada in 1998, the Top of the World Hwy. was smooth and wider but still unpaved at that time.

In 2006, the Top of the World Hwy. portion thru Canada was mostly paved, the best I ever seen that stretch, as of 2014 it was somewhat in disarray on the paved portions, however it is still in excellent shape compared to 1992.

The road is very doable to drive on from point A to point B in an RV, just go slow enough on the narrower portions and take your time as you shouldn't have any problems...I still am appalled when I see 40 foot motorcoaches, 38 ft. 5th wheelers and such driving 40 to 50 mph barrelling downhill into Chicken - those type of careless drivers is what makes the road dangerous....you will see your canoe and kayak tour guides drive fast, and your single fuel trucks wanting to make time but there is not a lot of traffic to worry about as pointed out.

As also noted, the Top of the World Hwy route from the border to Dawson does not have side by side creeks and rivers to worry about the roadway washing out and the road is high elevation in comparison to the Taylor Hwy. landscape of rivers and side road creeks along the route.

I would also highly recommend if possible, wait it out if a hard rain occurred in the area or if it is significantly raining before proceeding thru the Taylor Hwy. portion between mile 66 and 96....and do not veer off on the shoulder of the road either as noted !

The most tragic accident on the road that occurred was not on the portion of this topic, but rather on the Eagle portion of the Taylor Hwy. back in September 1988 as a Gray Line bus had pulled over to the shoulder to give room to a tanker truck to both pass by as the shoulder gave way when the motorcoach rolled down 100 feet killing one and injuring 29 according to the article I found.....since then, Gray Line has suspended large bus tours enroute to Eagle.

I personally never seen vehicles over an embankment (not stating it rarely happens) but I have seen a travel trailer stopped in the middle of the road at mile 80 waiting for a tow truck or a tire repair as the tire was flat, I barely drove around the rig....I read Alaska State Trooper daily dispatches twice a week as I never recalled reading any 10 to 15 rigs over the side of the Taylor Hwy. per year either....if that were the case, Willard's Garage would have all kinds of those rigs sitting in his yard or he'd be selling some of them to my boss.

The other accident was the US Customs agent that was west bound, ran off the road into a flooded creek and was killed.never did see a final report on what the investigation determined to cause the accident.

Joe, that was on the Eagle portion of the Taylor Hwy. in 2010 around mile 114 between Forty Mile River and Alder Creek, as they recovered him as I remember found in the creek within a mile from the vehicle as they determined low visibility from heavy rain and fog along with wet road conditions was to blame, the seat belt strap was found cut as officials speculated the customs officer done that in order to remove himself from the vehicle but did not survive... a friend of mine in Eagle told me that - it was her uncle.

July 2010 - Mile 69 Taylor Hwy - 10 days before this roadway washed out :


Sept 2012 - Mile 69 Taylor Hwy - new bypass :


Sept 2014 - Mile 72 Taylor Hwy - equivalent worse portion you would see driving the route :


Sept 2012 - Mile 9 Boundary Spur Road :


Sept 2014 - Mile 9 Boundary Spur Road - new pavement road surface :