Skip to content
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities Logo
Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities

NORTHERN REGION
You are here: DOT&PF >  Northern Region > Projects > Fairbanks: 4th and 11th Avenues

Northern Region ADA Improvements – Fairbanks: 4th and 11th Avenues
IRIS No. NFHWY00840

We are working to improve pedestrian accessibility in downtown Fairbanks along 4th and 11th Avenues. The project aims to reconstruct sidewalks so that they meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The existing sidewalks along 4th Avenue between Cowles Street and Barnette Street and along 11th Avenue between Cushman Street and Lacey Street are not currently ADA accessible because they are in poor condition and lack adequate curb ramps.

ADA accessible sidewalks are designed to ensure that wheelchair users, visually impaired people, and others with limited mobility can safely use the sidewalks. Curb ramps are gentle slopes that allow users in wheelchairs, people with strollers, bicyclists, and all other users to easily travel between street level and the level of the sidewalk. Modern curb ramps also include panels with raised dots that indicate to visually impaired people that they are entering the roadway.

A photo of the existing conditions along 4th Avenue shows a sidewalk without a curb ramp, grassy vegetation encroaching on the sidewalk, and concrete that is chipped and deteriorating.
Figure 1. The existing sidewalk along 4th Avenue is lacking curb ramps, is in poor condition, and is not wide enough to be ADA compliant.

We plan to complete the following work under the scope of this project:
On 4th Avenue:

  • Reconstruct and widen the sidewalk so that it is 5 feet wide and construct new curb ramps.
  • Improve drainage by regrading and resurfacing the existing roadway. We will reclaim the existing asphalt to use as the base material for the road.
  • Improve storm drain infrastructure.
  • Update signage on the road.

On 11th Avenue:

  • Reconstruct the sidewalk in areas that were not recently upgraded. Connect this sidewalk into the existing ADA-compliant sidewalk on either side of the project area, creating a new continuous section of compliant sidewalk.

A satellite map of downtown Fairbanks shows the extents of the two distinct work locations for this project. One work area is along 4th Avenue from Cowles Street to Barnette Street, and one work area is along 11th Avenue from Cushman Street to Lacey Street.
Figure 2. A map showing the two work areas within the scope of the project – 4th Avenue between Cowles and Barnette, and 11th Avenue between Cushman and Lacey.

Project Schedule

Construction on this project is expected to take place in 2024. We anticipate that road closures along 4th Avenue and 11th Avenue will be necessary during construction. The project is scheduled to be complete by the end of the season.