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 > Yukon River Reconnaissance Study

Yukon River Reconnaissance Study
Project No. NFHWY00010/0653008

Picture of the Yukon River Bridge

Yukon River Recon study area
Yukon River Recon bridge area

Project Background

The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (ADOT&PF), in cooperation with the Alaska Division of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), is conducting a reconnaissance study to evaluate the Dalton Highway Yukon River Bridge. The study will identify needs for a new or rehabilitated crossing, evaluate risks to the existing structure, identify alternative crossing locations, and provide recommendations for future improvements.

Project Purpose

The original bridge was built in May 1974 and remains the only crossing of its type along the Yukon River in Alaska. The purpose of this study is to assess:

  • Conditions on the existing bridge
  • Current and future traffic demands
  • Redundancy and safety
  • Potential alternate crossing locations
  • Life cycle cost analysis

Project Status

We are currently developing preliminary alternatives based on the results of the Needs Assessment PDF file 12MB. The Needs Assessment concluded with the following purpose and need statement, which will be used to develop alternatives:

The Yukon River Bridge and Dalton Highway provide critical support to existing and future economic development and transportation needs of the Interior and North Slope of Alaska. The overarching project purpose is to ensure bridge access is maintained across the Yukon River.