wwii bridges getting replaced
The federal government just committed $108 million to replace two World War II-era Alaska bridges that have been carrying traffic for over 80 years.
Daily Alaska staff · April 13, 2026 · Fairbanks
Daily Alaska staff · April 13, 2026 · FairbanksSCRIPT (for ElevenLabs)
Two WWII-era bridges between Tok and Fairbanks are finally getting replaced.
The federal government is sending $108 million to Alaska to rebuild two Interior bridges. The Johnson River and Gerstle River bridges sit along one of the main routes connecting Tok and Fairbanks, and both were built by the Army Corps of Engineers during World War II.
They were designed to last about 50 years. We've been driving on them for more than 80. Officials say they're still safe to cross, but they're well past their designed lifespan and the time to upgrade is now.
Construction on the first bridge is set to begin in 2027, with the second project following in 2029. This is the first major bridge replacement funded under a new federal program targeting bridges of this scale. For anyone who drives that stretch of highway regularly, this has been a long time coming.
Those old bridges carried us through a lot of Alaska history, and the new ones will carry us even further.