Shakwak Highway Projects : 2006–2012

The Shakwak Highway is a 500‑kilometre segment of the Alaska Highway that runs from Haines, Alaska to Haines Junction, Yukon and north to the Alaska border. This project involved reconstructing segments of the Highway, as well as restoring and stabilizing segments that have been damaged by melting permafrost.

Skookum Asphalt Ltd. completed various sections of the Haines Highway every year from 2006 to 2012, establishing an asphalt plant in the region to specifically serve the highway reconstruction. In addition to asphalt paving, Skookum Asphalt completed over 200 kilometres of Bituminous Surface Treatment (chip seal) on various sections of the Alaska Highway between Haines Junction and Beaver Creek every year from 1992 to 2010.

A major challenge of the projects was their extremely remote location, which created the logistical challenge of transporting hot oil over long distances. One-way haul times to the jobs were as long as 36 hours, making it necessary to store large quantities of oil on site to maintain production.

Because much of the work was located in high mountain regions, the weather and wildlife posed further challenges, with cool daytime temperatures, occasional overnight flurries and frequent encounters with grizzly bears.