Brotherhood Bridge sidewalks reopen in Juneau after glacial flood closure

Walkers and cyclists lost the Brotherhood Bridge sidewalks during Juneau's glacial lake outburst flood, and got them back only after the water dropped.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities closed the pedestrian paths on Glacier Highway at mile marker 10 at 11 p.m. on Aug. 12. Vehicle lanes stayed open, and drivers crossing the bridge were told to continue through without stopping. At an Aug. 12 Unified Command briefing, DOT&PF's Travis Eckhoff explained the trigger: "We are sticking to our plan, so we will close the back loop bridge at 8:30 PM tonight, and we will be closing the pedestrian paths on the Brotherhood Bridge around 5:15, or when the lake gauge hits 10 feet."

DOT&PF said the sidewalks would reopen once the Mendenhall Lake gauge, MNDA2, dropped below 10 feet and crews determined the paths were safe. Alaska 511 listed a planned end of 8 p.m. Aug. 13, but the gauge condition governed the actual reopening. The City and Borough of Juneau said Friday the flood threat had ended and that pedestrian traffic atop the bridge was open again.

The gauge reached 14.5 feet at 1:15 p.m. Aug. 13, in major flood stage. Suicide Basin has produced a glacial lake outburst flood every year since 2011. The 2024 release was the largest in the Mendenhall River system's recorded history, flooding nearly 300 homes in northern Juneau. This closure was part of Juneau's recurring flood response, which regularly affects pedestrian and bicycle access along the river corridor.