Federal government allocates $108 million to replace two Alaska bridges

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTUU/KTVF) – On Wednesday, officials with the Trump administration announced $108 million in funding for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT) to replace the World War II-era Johnson River and Gerstle River bridges along the Alaska Highway.

According to Administrator Sean McMaster with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), this funding marks the first Large Bridge Project awarded by the Trump administration under the FHWA’s Bridge Investment Program.

“These bridges are in poor condition and they’re outdated, and today, this investment is going to change that,” he said.

Constructed with a designed service life of about 50 years, the bridges have seen wear and tear over the years, although Angelica Stabs, Northern Region Public Information Officer with Alaska DOT, said they remain safe for travel.

Any problems with these structures, McMaster argued, could lead to three-hour, 150-mile detours along the Alaska Highway which Stabs called a critical supply route “for goods and services, whether that’s construction, the food we eat, or anything we need to live in our, you know, our unique communities. Basically, this highway that these bridges certainly live on are lifeline for commerce, tourism, and daily living for Alaskans.”

Now that the funding has been announced, the replacement, which has been on Alaska DOT’s radar for years, can finally move forward.

“We’re all about making our roads safe. We’re trying to keep the economy flowing in Alaska, and some people might be saddened to think, you know, for example, the Gerstle River Bridge is going away, but we’re doing everything we can to keep a little bit of that history in Alaska still,” Stabs said.

The award has gone live, and Stabs estimated that work would begin on the Johnson River Bridge in 2027, followed by the Gerstle River Bridge in 2029.

It is unclear at this point how much of the bridge replacement project’s cost will be covered by the federal funding.

See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com

Copyright 2026 KTUU. All rights reserved.