(FAIRBANKS, Alaska) – The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) will close or reduce operations at five maintenance stations beginning this month. The department also will cease maintenance at Circle Hot Springs Airport.

These closures result from declining operating budgets that are affecting all state agencies due to the lack of a sustainable fiscal plan. Since 2015, ADOT&PF has realized a $60 million general fund reduction to its budget; a 22 percent decrease. This impacts the department’s ability to maintain and operate roads, airports and ferries.

The following stations will be affected:

• O’Brien Creek Maintenance Station, on the Taylor Highway, closing;
• Chitina Maintenance Station, in Chitina, closing;
• Birch Lake Maintenance Station, on the Richardson Highway, closing;
• Central Maintenance Station, in Central, closing;
• and Thompson Pass Maintenance Station, on the Richardson Highway near Valdez, will become a seasonal station, open in the winter only.

All roads will remain open, but it will take longer to plow snow and address ice conditions. Maintenance of the roads in the areas of the closed stations will become the responsibility of nearby stations. For example: When the Birch Lake station closes, the Delta Junction and Fairbanks stations will split the miles previously maintained by the Birch Lake station.

In addition, the department will end winter maintenance at Circle Hot Springs Airport as a result of the closure of Central Maintenance Station. Aircraft will still be allowed to take off and land at Circle Hot Springs Airport with appropriate use of landing equipment, but the department will not be lighting or plowing the runway.

Central Airport will remain lighted and plowed to service the communities of Central and Circle Hot Springs.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities oversees 237 airports, 9 ferries serving 35 communities along 3,500 marine miles, over 5,600 miles of highway and 839 public facilities throughout the state of Alaska. The mission of the department is to “Keep Alaska Moving through service and infrastructure.”

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