Deadhorse Airport fence project reaches 3,500 feet of installation

Contractors working on a wildlife perimeter fence at Deadhorse Airport have installed about 3,500 linear feet of insulation board along the fence embankment, according to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.

The project includes drainage improvements at the airport and along Deadhorse Drive, filling fields next to the runway and apron, and building a wildlife perimeter fence with a service road around the airfield.

Work continues with borrow haul operations and pit development at the North Slope facility.

The Deadhorse work is among 24 transportation construction projects listed in the Northern Region's May 19, 2026 update. The update includes seven new projects for 2026 alongside continuing work such as resurfacing on Dalton Highway segments at milepost 90-104 and milepost 245-274. The update detailed progress on five other projects across Interior Alaska.

On Chena Pump and Chena Ridge roads near Fairbanks, crews continued reclaiming, grading, and compacting crushed asphalt base course through last week. The contractor began reclaiming the roadway from the Cripple Creek Bridge to the Chena Pump Boat Launch on May 7, 2026. Reclaiming work in Segment 1 is expected to finish this week. Paving will begin after seasonal weight restrictions are lifted.

That project includes drainage improvements, embankment stabilization, roadside hardware, new guardrails, pavement repairs, and a pavement-preserving chip seal. Traffic control operations remain in place 24 hours at the Cripple Creek Bridge.

On the Parks Highway between milepost 319 and 322, contractors started grading and cleaning up ramps leading into and out of excavation and detour areas. Excavation work began last week, with material being hauled to Diversion 2 for embankment work where the power line was previously removed and bored. Borrow haul operations also began, with material being placed on Diversion 2.

The reconstruction project includes realignment to reduce curves and added truck lanes to improve safety. Pilot car operations run 24 hours through the project area.

At the Richardson Highway between milepost 97 and 106.5, work to reduce the transition joint gap at Tazlina Bridge has begun. The first side is scheduled to be poured next week. Crews will begin grinding the bridge deck and painting the structure this week. Work on the Tazlina Bridge is expected to continue through most of the construction season.

Work at Klutina Bridge is scheduled to begin June 11, 2026, and is expected to take about three weeks. During construction, the bridge will be reduced to one lane during daytime hours. The project includes bridge deck resurfacing on both bridges and field painting of some steel structures at Tazlina. Single-lane 24-hour traffic control operations are in place on the Tazlina Bridge until mid-June.