1. “Welcome to Alaska” signing in Southeast Alaska

2. There is no set standard for border crossing signs. Some are ornate, some are rudimentary. We have all types at our three crossings in Southeast.

3. This represents the “before” condition at our Hyder crossing, 50 miles north of Ketchikan. Hyder is an isolated community that depends almost completely on its “sister city”, Stewart, BC, for goods, services, education, groceries, and everything else. The Canadian road at this entry point is BC Provincial Route 37A. It transitions from pavement to gravel once inside the US. The gravel road goes for 7 miles and re-enters Canada. There is no US Customs station in Hyder since there is no opportunity for anyone to drive off the route to another community or another highway. It’s a completely open border. Not so the other way.

4. This is an excerpt from the current Alaska Sign Design Specifications. As you can see, there is no standard “Welcome to Alaska” sign. In 2012, we had a project to pave the road serving Hyder and I developed the signing plan. Instead of replicating the “Entering Alaska” sign, I rigidly stuck to the available standards and called for an “Entering Alaska Time Zone” sign. When we coordinated the project with the community, I was almost tarred and feathered for this, as Hyder does not use the Alaska time zone. They follow the Pacific time zone, which is what Stewart, BC, is on. Had we put up the time zone sign, it would have been destroyed in the dark of night.

5. This is the highway sign at the Klondike Highway border crossing (Skagway – Whitehorse), looking into Canada. The end of the striping is the actual border. The odd-looking post is used in areas of heavy snowfall. This crossing is located atop a ridge not far from the legendary Chilkoot Trail.

6. Here is a nonstandard Welcome sign mounted in a pullout near the border.

7. This cluster of signage is what the motorist entering from BC will see upon crossing the border.

8. I couldn’t find photos of the Haines Highway crossing, best I could do was the signing plan as-built from a 1999 paving project. We did put up an “entering Alaska time zone” sign and left a “Welcome to Alaska” sign in place in a pullout off the traveled way. It probably looks something like the Klondike Highway sign.

9. Northern Region put up a highway-style “Welcome to Alaska” sign on the Alcan. So that proves it can be done, even if it’s nonstandard. There is also an ornate welcome sign in a pullout at the border.