Ketchikan Tongass Avenue & Water Street Viaducts

Project # SFHWY00196

This open house will focus on three funded, near-term projects that will help maintain the corridor, address existing infrastructure needs, and keep the existing viaducts safely in service.

At the open house review project materials, ask questions, and provide input on the proposed improvements. The project team will be available to answer your questions and discuss any concerns. Materials presented at the meeting will be available on the project website after the open house.

Project Overview

The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) is embarking on a comprehensive, multi-year improvement plan for the Tongass Avenue and Water Street corridor. This long-term approach will bring the corridor up to modern design standards and ensure that vital infrastructure will continue to serve Ketchikan safely and reliably for decades to come.

The project is being split into multiple stages outlined in more detail below. The project corridor is owned and maintained by DOT&PF.

Why is this project needed?

Under the road:

The Water Street and Tongass Avenue viaducts were built in the 1950s and have served Ketchikan for more than 70 years. Near-term repairs are needed to keep these important connections safe and reliable while DOT&PF continues planning for the future replacement of the Water Street Viaduct.

On top of the road:

As Ketchikan has grown and community needs have changed, this corridor can be improved to better serve residents and visitors.

• Sidewalks, crosswalks and ramps, can be updated to align with modern accessibility and design practices
• Pavement renewal will enhance comfort and reliability for travelers
• Drainage improvements can help manage flooding along Water Street during heavy rains
• Enhancements will help accommodate increased vehicle and pedestrian activity, particularly during the busy summer season

How does this project propose to address those needs?

We are advancing three near-term projects along Tongass Avenue and Water Street to maintain the corridor, address existing needs, and keep the viaducts safely in service. The three near-term projects include:

• Repair viaducts as needed to reduce future maintenance costs and the need for unexpected closures
• Improve wheelchair access at crosswalks to meet current design standards
• Repave the corridor to improve the driving surface
• Improve drainage near the intersection with Chapman Street to address flooding

Current Projects

Funding has been secured for the following work. Preliminary engineering has started and, construction is expected to begin as early as 2028.

Project 1: Pavement Repairs

This phase includes spot pavement repairs on Tongass Avenue and Water Street. In an effort to minimize impacts to the public, the pavement repairs at the s-curves where Water Street and Tongass Avenue meet just north of Schoenbar Road will be done as part of Project 3.

 

Project 2: Structure Repairs

This project includes spot repairs of the bridges under Tongass Avenue and Water Street to prevent unexpected closures and other safety measures from impacting the traveling public until the bridges can be replaced.

 

Project 3: Jim Creek Culvert Replacement and Abandoned Structure Removal

This project includes replacing the Jim Creek culvert north of Schoenbar Road with a larger culvert to address flooding that occurs during heavy rains. It also includes replacing an abandoned bridge structure near the culvert with dirt fill. Utilities will be upgraded as needed. Project 3 also includes replacing pavement in this segment of the corridor and improvements to pedestrian facilities at the s-curve where Water Street and Tongass Avenue meet, extending to just north of Schoenbar Road.

 

Tongass Avenue and Water Street Viaducts in the future

The repairs for the three projects are not intended to replace the viaducts, but rather to maintain the corridor and keep it safely in service. DOT&PF is also pursuing funding for the long-term replacement of the Tongass Avenue and Water Street Viaducts as a separate future projects.

Our commitment to you

This project will bring meaningful and lasting improvements to the Ketchikan community. We know that achieving these changes will take several years and that construction will create unavoidable impacts for residents, businesses, and visitors. While some disruptions are inevitable, our commitment is to work closely with the community to reduce them as much as we can. We will listen, adapt, and coordinate throughout the process to ease effects on traffic, pedestrians, and local businesses.

We will...

• Listen
• Be honest, transparent, and consistent in our communications
• Maintain an open two-way conversation
• Request your feedback at key project decision points
• Adapt
• Respond to your feedback/questions within five business days
• Send project updates through the email listserv at least every three months
• Involve local municipalities and tribes in monthly team meetings
• Integrate construction impacts into project decision-making from the start
• Seek to ease effects on traffic, pedestrians, and local businesses

We welcome your feedback on how well we are meeting these commitments. It is a top priority for our project team that the community of Ketchikan is meaningfully involved in this project's development and if you have ideas about how we can do that better, please let us know.

Open House 2025

Thank you to everyone who was able to join us at the first public open house for the Ketchikan Tongass Avenue & Water Street Viaducts Project on October 15, 2025. The event was an opportunity for us to learn more about your thoughts on the project and share information about the proposed improvements.

Here are the downloadable documents and displays that were shared at the first open house:

• Our Commitment to You Handout with Contact Information
• Property Access and Right of Way Information Sheet
• Display Board: Project Phasing
• Display Board: Viaduct Conditions and Needs
• Display Board: Right-of-Way & Property Access Considerations
• Display Board: National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
• Current Conditions PowerPoint
• Ideas and Concerns Poster

Stay Updated

If you have questions or comments, you can email the project team at contact@ketchikanviaducts.com

Please fill out the form below to sign up for occasional email updates and announcements.

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The environmental review, consultation, and other actions required by applicable Federal environmental laws for this project are being, or have been, carried out by DOT&PF pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated April 13, 2023, and executed by FHWA and DOT&PF.