Construction on the 1,500-mile Alaska Highway was begun by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other government agencies in March 1942 and was completed in November of the same year. The highway served as the principal route for connecting army installations in Alaska with the United States during World War II. The highway runs from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, through central Alaska. Design of the stamp is based on a 1942 Department of Army photo from the U.S. Library of Congress, and depicts a vintage military vehicle traveling the new highway.