State Route 3 - Parks Highway

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  • The Nenana River flows northward from Denali Park into the Tanana River at Nenana.
  • Nenana River Gorge
  • Mount Healy rises west of Denali Park from within Denali National Park.
  • Mount Healy and the Nenana River at Denali Park
  • Viewing the SR 3 bridge over the Nenana River from the Parks Highway Multi Use Trail.
  • The Nenana River and Mount Healy
  • Parks Highway bridge over the Nenana River
  • The Nenana River at Denali Park
  • Parks Highway, the Chulitna River and Denali
  • SR 3 crossing the Chulitna River
  • Chulitna River north of Trapper Creek, Alaska

Following George Parks Highway, State Route 3 connects Alaska's two most populous cities along a 323.72 mile long course. SR 3 also represents the entirely of unsigned Interstate A-4 between Gateway near the city of Palmer and Fairbanks.

North

South

Branching west from SR 1 (Glenn Highway) at Gateway, SR 3 initially continues the freeway from SR 1/I-A1 five miles west to a SPUI with Seward Meridian Parkway. Parks Highway transitions west from there onto a commercial boulevard leading into the city of Wasilla. Expanding into a divided highway west at Church Road, SR 3 arcs northward around Jacobsen Lake to the Meadow Lakes census designated place. The four lane section extends 8.0 miles to the city of Houston.

Turning northward across the Meadow Lakes, SR 3 passes through Houston en route to Willow. Parks Highway parallels the Susitna River to Susitna North and Trapper Creek. Following the course of the Chultina River, SR 3 continues north into Denali State Park. Denali, the highest peak in North America, rises west of Parks Highway within Denali National Park. SR 3 stays outside the park northeast to SR 8 (Denali Highway) at Cantwell.

1967 Map showing the incomplete route of SR 3 between Anchorage and Fairbanks.

1967 map showing scheduled construction completing Alaska State Route 3 in 1971.

North from Cantwell, SR 3 (Parks Highway) heads to Denali Park, Healy, Clear and Anderson. The state route makes a gradual northeasterly turn toward Fairbanks beyond the Alaska Native Veterans' Honor Bridge spanning the Tanana River at Nenana. SR 3 reaches the Fairbanks area at Ester.

Parks Highway across the Tanana River in Nenana, AK.
The Parker truss bridge along SR 3 at Nenana, AK.
The Nenana and Tanana Rivers converge at Nenana, AK.
The Tanana River at Nenana, AK during break up season.
The bridge over the Tanana River replaced a nine vehicle ferry.
The truss bridge over the Tanana River took two years to build.
The Tanana River flowing along the north side of Nenana, AK.
The Mears Memorial Bridge along the Alaska Railroad.
The Alaska Railroad loops south of the Tanana River into the city of Nenana.

SR 3 (Parks Highway) spans the Tanana River adjacent to the Nenana River over a Parker truss bridge. Constructed as part of the original Anchorage-Fairbanks Highway, the bridge taking SR 3 across the Tanana River cost $5 million to build. Passing west of the Nenana street grid, the bridge opened to traffic in Summer 1967.1,2 The Nenana Highway extended 122 miles south from Fairbanks by 1968.3

The city of Nenana was a construction base for the Alaska Railroad starting in 1916. The Mears Memorial Bridge over the Tanana River to the east of SR 3 (Parks Highway) was completed on July 15, 1923.3 05/09/23

SR 3 passes between Chena Ridge and Gold Hill east ahead of a controlled access expressway linking with Geist Road and Airport Way in the Fairbanks suburb of College. Parks Highway enters the city of Fairbanks at Peger Road along an at-grade expressway leading east to a trumpet interchange with SR 2 (Steese Highway/Richardson Highway). Both SR 3 and I-A4 end at SR 2, which doubles as I-A2 southeast to North Pole and Delta Junction.

State Route 3 was completed in 1971 and eventually named after George A. Parks, Alaska territorial governor from 1925 to 1933. When it opened, it reduced the distance by car between Anchorage and Fairbanks, previously achieved via SR 1 (Glenn Highway) and SR 4/2 along Richardson Highway, by 120 miles. The most expensive portion to construct was the five mile long section through Nenana Canyon at a cost $8 million.1

The 234 mile long missing link along Parks Highway was constructed over a period of 12 years starting in 1959 at a cost of $147 million. Prior to construction, the route extended 50 miles north from Anchorage to Willow and 56 miles southwest from Fairbanks to the Nenana River. A 30 mile long section was also in place around Cantwell.4

1984 Gousha Map of Fairbanks, Alaska.

Alaska State Route 3 originally followed Airport Way east across Fairbanks to SR 2 (Steese Highway).

The northernmost four miles of SR 3 along Parks Highway in Fairbanks was renamed as the Robert J. Mitchell Expressway after the Alaska House of Representatives voted to change the name on March 9, 1988. Mitchell was proponent of the South Fairbanks Industrial area who had previously worked for the Alaska Road Commission. Mitchell passed away in 1980 at 61 years of age.7

There formerly were signs for a Alaska State Route 3 Business Loop at Blue Lupine Drive and Trunk Road at Gateway. Those signs were removed during 2009-10 construction extending Trunk Road north and realigning Blue Lupine Drive to meet the arterial at a roundabout.

Alaska State Route 3 scenes
Trunk Road meets SR 3 (Parks Highway) at a roundabout interchange just west of SR 1 (Glenn Highway). 05/07/23
The roundabout along Trunk Road north of SR 3 at Georgeson Drive east and Blue Lupine Drive west opened to traffic on September 20, 2010. The roundabout was part of the $23 million Phase I reconstruction project along Trunk Road north from Parks Highway to Palmer-Fishhook Road.5 05/07/23
Trunk Road south at the entrance ramp for SR 3 (Parks Highway) northbound to the city of Wasilla. 05/07/23
The southward extension of Trunk Road from SR 3 (Parks Highway) to Nelson Road was dedicated on August 11, 2017. The $19 million project included adding a roundabout along the arterial at the southbound ramps with Parks Highway.6 05/07/23
The Parks Highway Multi Use Trail crossing Kingfisher Creek at Denali Park. 05/12/23
The Parks Highway Multi Use Trail crossing the Nenana River at Denali Park. 05/12/23
A Street north at Front Street in Nenana. A Street formerly connected with a ferry across the Tanana River. The ferry was replaced by the truss bridge along Parks Highway. 05/09/23
A Street south at 2nd Street in Nenana. 05/09/23
A Street ties into SR 3 (Parks Highway) just south of the high rise bridge over the Tanana River. 05/09/23

Sources:
  1. "Bridge Will Mean Slower Nenana Ferry." Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (AK), March 15, 1966.
  2. "Highway Will Cut Driving Time." Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (AK), June 3, 1967.
  3. "Nenana Highway Scenic Drive." Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (AK), May 28, 1968.
  4. "State tries to predict Parks' future - After 30 years of unimagined growth, agency tries to foresee next 30." Anchorage Daily News (AK), November 20, 2000.
  5. "Invited drivers take spin on Valley roundabout." Anchorage Daily News: Web Edition Articles (AK), September 20, 2010.
  6. "Trunk road expansion made official with ribbon cutting." Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman (Wasilla, AK) August 12, 2017.
  7. "House Votes to Rename Highway." Daily Sitka Sentinel (AK), March 10, 1988.


Photo Credits:

05/07/23, 05/09/23, 05/12/23 by AARoads

Connect with:
State Route 1 - Sterling Hwy / Seward Hwy / Glenn Hwy
State Route 2 - Alaska Hwy / Donaldson Hwy / Elliot Hwy
State Route 8 - Denali Highway
Airport Way - Fairbanks
Johansen Expressway - Fairbanks

Page Updated 06-21-2023.

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