The Town of Watson Lake would like to provide residents and visitors with an update on the ongoing pedestrian pathway and intersection improvements along portions of the Alaska Highway and Robert Campbell Highway. This project builds on previous safety improvements in the area, including the installation of new push-button pedestrian crossings on the Alaska Highway and new street lighting along the Robert Campbell Highway from Ravenhill Drive to Two and a Half Mile Village.
This is a Yukon Government project, funded and delivered by the Government of Yukon. The Town of Watson Lake is sharing this information with residents and visitors to help keep the community informed as the project progresses.
The current work is continuing to improve pedestrian connectivity and safety between the Watson Lake school area, the Sign Post Forest, Visitor Centre, and surrounding neighborhoods.
The project includes approximately 750 meters of new pedestrian pathways along the Alaska and Robert Campbell Highways, creating safer and more continuous walking connections through the area.
Improvements are also being made to three existing intersections:
-Robert Campbell Highway / Tags / Visitor Centre
-Alaska Highway / 8th Street, (this includes sidewalk extensions to improve access to the pedestrian crossing)
-Alaska Highway / 9th Street, (this includes sidewalk extensions to improve access to the pedestrian crossing)
These intersections are very wide. The narrowing and modifications made help create shorter and more clearly defined pedestrian crossings, improve pedestrian visibility, better organize vehicle movements, and reduce potential conflict points between vehicles and pedestrians.
Four new side-mounted push-button pedestrian crossings are also being installed:
-Two on the Robert Campbell Highway, in front of the school and near the Tags/Visitor Centre intersection
-Two on the Alaska Highway, at 8th Street and 9th Street
As part of the project, existing parking along the Alaska Highway adjacent to the Sign Post Forest will be removed. Visitors will instead be directed to the Visitor Centre parking area via the Robert Campbell Highway, helping reduce vehicle and pedestrian conflicts along the Alaska Highway.
Together, these improvements are intended to provide a safer, more accessible, and better-connected pedestrian route for students, families, residents, and visitors travelling through this area.
Construction is currently underway, with the contractor scheduled to complete the work by mid-October 2026.
Residents and motorists are asked to use caution around active construction areas and follow all posted signage and traffic-control directions while work continues.
We appreciate your patience and cooperation while these important pedestrian and transportation safety improvements are completed.
Source: Yukon Government
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