Denali to Seward roads

[paddingtonbear]

Hi

 

I am trying to work out how long it will take to drive from Denali to Seward. Google says about 7 hours actual driving time.

 

Is there major road construction on the Seward to Denali just this year or will it be as bad next year in 2013?

[frugaltravel]

It can take anywhere from 8 to 15 hours, depending on traffic, road construction, slow RV's, even accidents that close the road for hours at a time.

 

I would suggest you spend a night between Denali and Seward. There is no way you can make it in 7 hours as a tourist driving even close to the speed limit. Took me that long to drive just from Seward to Talkeetna one year with no real big delays to speak of!

[laughing husky]

Absolutely.....It is mostly a 2 lane road with speed limits down to 45 at times...not many passing lanes and the road from Anchorage and Seward is one of the most dangerous roads in the US.....Not because of problems with the road but it is curvy and people are sightseeing....Where else can you see whales 40' from the road and Dall Sheep on the road.....and some people decide they need to get someplace fast so they speed and pass on a double yellow line....There are also night time road closures at time...There are roads in Alaska...major roads...that can close from 10 PM till 6 AM....and if there is an accident, you can delays of up to 6-7 hrs....More than once...coming back from Seward, it has taken 7-8 hrs....in what usually is a 3 hr trip....Plan on more time than you need....We have no interstates type highways here....

[mytime53]

It's about 365 miles, so I would round up to 375 and divide by 50 (I always figure that to be the average speed on a trip, to allow for quick bathroom breaks, coffee buys, slow traffic, bad weather or road conditions, and slower speed zones), so I would figure 7.5 hours. But for that length of time we would need to stop a few extra times to stretch our legs and eat a meal. So add another hour. And then count in the fact that you will be seeing some amazing scenery and possibly animal sightings, so add another hour or two. Add in road construction and or accidents, and that could be no time to several hours. So you can see that I agree with frugaltravel...anywhere from 8 hours up.

 

I can't imagine there being a summer without road construction...too many miles of road need repair for too short of a road repair/construction season. We have so few miles of road for so much traffic that, when combined with severe winter weather, roads are always in need of repair.

[Chenega]

It's already started on the Seward Highway on the south side of Anchorage as well as the Trail Lake area about 1/2 hour north of Seward. It's simply a fact of summer.

[pdmlynek]

...

Is there major road construction on the Seward to Denali just this year or will it be as bad next year in 2013?

 

There is ALWAYS road construction on Alaskan highways during the summer.

[paddingtonbear]

Thanks for the advice guys. It is great to hear about the local conditions. We'll take an extra day to get from Denali to Seward.

[AKman2495]

DOn't forget that there is no highway from Denali to Seward. You drive from Denali to Anchorage, drive through Anchorage, and then proceed south to Seward.

 

As of last week, the "highway" through Anchorage is now under construction at one major section of roadway. There is also construction at several other places along the road.

 

So, I agree, don't try to push the trip in one day. You will only get stressed out.

[Glaciers]

This site can help with locating construction areas. There was another post recently that indicated the construction north of Seward that Chenega mentioned was causing delays up to 30 minutes.

http://511.alaska.gov/alaska511/mappingcomponent

[laughing husky]

Trail bridge south of Anchorage ...on the way to Seward is closed from midnight to 6 am......Thank Goodness it will be open for Memorial Day madness as lots of people head to Seward for that weekend....and the roads will be total madness......:(

[PennyAgain]

and the Trail Bridge is a 'little' project.

 

Summer in Alaska = construction.

[AkSusan]

And they are working on the Seward between Tudor and Dowling and they are straightening Potter to hook Dowling up with C and then onto Arctic. And then they were working on Arctic. I swear I'm never going to get home some days!:D

 

Here's the link to DOT's Navigator page that shows all the construction projects going on or will be going on all over the State http://www.alaskanavigator.org/

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[LMZinSC]

Other than Anchorage is there another good place to stop? I was thinking Cooper Landing. Then we can head to Homer or Seward the next day.

[frugaltravel]

Other than Anchorage is there another good place to stop? I was thinking Cooper Landing. Then we can head to Homer or Seward the next day.

 

From Denali, Eagle River, Wasilla or Girdwood are probably better to stop than Cooper Landing.

[pdmlynek]

Other than Anchorage is there another good place to stop? I was thinking Cooper Landing. Then we can head to Homer or Seward the next day.

 

On the way from Seward to Denali we visited the Independence mine. I do recommend it, but it is a time sink getting to it.

[pmjnh]

We drove from Denali to Seward today. We left Healy at 8:30. After 2 brief stops for gas, etc, we arrived in Anchorage at 1 PM. It was an easy drive with very light traffic. Once we got through Anchorage, everything was going great til we hit mile marker 76, and found the Seward highway closed due to a manhunt for an armed kidnapper. We sat for 2 hours. The good of it was that the scenery was gorgeous and we met several nice people while waiting . The road finally opened up and the traffic was very heavy, lightening up after the turn off to Kenai. The remainder of the road was slow, but moving steadily during construction. Looked like they were preparing the road for resurfacing. We finally made it to Seward at 5:30.

 

A long day that started out with great potential!

 

Lesson learned.

[frugaltravel]

We drove from Denali to Seward today. We left Healy at 8:30. After 2 brief stops for gas, etc, we arrived in Anchorage at 1 PM. It was an easy drive with very light traffic. Once we got through Anchorage, everything was going great til we hit mile marker 76, and found the Seward highway closed due to a manhunt for an armed kidnapper. We sat for 2 hours. The good of it was that the scenery was gorgeous and we met several nice people while waiting . The road finally opened up and the traffic was very heavy, lightening up after the turn off to Kenai. The remainder of the road was slow, but moving steadily during construction. Looked like they were preparing the road for resurfacing. We finally made it to Seward at 5:30.

 

A long day that started out with great potential!

 

Lesson learned.

 

Great example why most regulars on this forum never recommend driving between Seward and Denali in one day. But people are often in a rush to see and do more than they should. Glad it worked out for you in the end.

[PennyAgain]

You can figure on sections of that drive being closed for one reason or another. It happens. Sometimes the delay is a few minutes and sometimes hours and hours.

 

I've actually slept in my car on the highway when everything was at a full stop!

[pdmlynek]

Great example why most regulars on this forum never recommend driving between Seward and Denali in one day. But people are often in a rush to see and do more than they should. Glad it worked out for you in the end.

 

Although I agree that it is better and smell the roses along the way, sometimes people's schedule is such that they have to make the Seward <-> Denali trip in one day. Pitty, because there is some much to see aside from Mt. McKinley, but I think it can be done.

But one should just not expect to divide the distance of 380 miles by 50 mph and say that it will take 7 to 8 hrs. Luckily, this time of year the sun stays up a long time, so we found it not that big of deal to drive 10, 12, or 14 hrs, and still arrive at our destination during daylight. In a month or two, it may be a different story.

[bearbait]

This is an easy drive in one day. This deal about the road being closed for hours is utter non-sense. Us Alaskans wouldn't stand for that. Accidents and stuff happen. But unless you're coming in the winter during avalanche season don't expect for the road to be shut down. Again accidents happen so build at least a 2 hour window into your time schedule. Personally I wouldn't have a problem driving from Fairbanks to Seward in one day. Just leave early and plan accordingly.

[frugaltravel]

This is an easy drive in one day. This deal about the road being closed for hours is utter non-sense. Us Alaskans wouldn't stand for that. Accidents and stuff happen. But unless you're coming in the winter during avalanche season don't expect for the road to be shut down. Again accidents happen so build at least a 2 hour window into your time schedule. Personally I wouldn't have a problem driving from Fairbanks to Seward in one day. Just leave early and plan accordingly.

 

But you aren't stopping for sightseeing, etc. Reality is most people don't plan accordingly (that poster who got stuck was quite surprised about it). Aren't you also the one (or was it someone else) who said they drive from Fairbanks to Anchorage in 3-1/2 hours? If not you, it was another Alaska resident. Talk about utter nonsense!

[pmjnh]

You know, in all honesty we would probably do it again the same way. If we weren't stuck that day on the Seward, we might have been stuck the next. We arrived in Anchorage at 1PM and we were lucky to have reached Seward, our final destination by 5 PM, which was our original plan.

[bearbait]

But you aren't stopping for sightseeing, etc. Reality is most people don't plan accordingly (that poster who got stuck was quite surprised about it). Aren't you also the one (or was it someone else) who said they drive from Fairbanks to Anchorage in 3-1/2 hours? If not you, it was another Alaska resident. Talk about utter nonsense!

 

I never said you could drive from FAI to ANC in 3 1/2 hours. It's about 365 miles. That's not even logical. However, the drive from Denali to Seward is easily doable in one day. No need to stop and fritter away money on an overpriced hotel. Cause nothing here is cheap in the summer. Save that money for buying cheap rubber totem poles or tanzanite.

[Chenega]

This is an easy drive in one day. This deal about the road being closed for hours is utter non-sense. Us Alaskans wouldn't stand for that. Accidents and stuff happen. But unless you're coming in the winter during avalanche season don't expect for the road to be shut down. Again accidents happen so build at least a 2 hour window into your time schedule. Personally I wouldn't have a problem driving from Fairbanks to Seward in one day. Just leave early and plan accordingly.

 

Ha! The road does indeed close for long periods of time for "us Alaskans" even if we don't like it. My wife had a five hour delay from Portage to Anchorage due to an accident last summer. Yesterday we were advised by the captain on a Kenai Fjords boat trip that a kidnapping and stolen car incident had closed the Seward for hours with a backup of at least 10 miles between 20 Mile River and Turnagain Pass. In most cases you'll get through without incident but we have to be honest and admit we have traffic situations just like anyplace else and visitors do have to plan for that possibility especially when planning for long distances :)

[bearbait]

Sure it closes. I've been in those. But if you figure out the odds of it happening when you're driving through they'll be stacked in your favor. That's why I said to build in at least a 2 hour window. If everyone delayed their trip because there might be a delay no one would ever go anywhere.