The Dalton Highway was built in 1974 to support the Prudhoe Bay oil fields and Trans-Alaska pipeline. It is traversed daily by more than a hundred 18 wheelers trucks, but it wasn't until 1994 that the whole Dalton Highway was opened to public traffic. The Dalton is the northernmost highway in the US, ending at Deadhorse near the Artic Ocean. The coldest temperature ever recorded in the United States -82F (-62C) was measured at Prospect Creek, near mile 124. The Dalton Highway is also the most isolated highway in the US, as along its 414 miles (667 km) there are services only at one place: Coldfood (population 13) at mile 175. Currently the road is only about half-paved. Gravel flies in summer, while the northern part of the road consists of solid ice in winter. All this has contributed to the Dalton Highway's reputation as one of the most dangerous roads in the world.
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