Federal grant of $154,649 will put LED navigation lights on bridges in five Alaska communities

The lighting on bridges in Juneau, Sitka, Kodiak, Dutch Harbor and Kotzebue will be replaced under a $154,649 federal formula grant awarded to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. A $15,351 state share brings the project to $170,000.

The Federal Highway Administration award replaces two systems: aviation obstruction lighting, which marks a structure's height for aircraft, and marine navigation lighting, which marks the channel for vessels passing beneath. The award period runs through Dec. 31, 2026.

At the department's June update, released July 20, project engineer Kirk Miller described the work as "a statewide bridge navigational light improvements project, kind of a small project at various locations," and said the advertising date had slipped from August to September for design work. September begins Tuesday.

It is the department's second federal bridge award this month. The other, a $126,917 cooperative agreement also due Dec. 31, funds research into computer-vision tools for bridge inspectors. The state adds $31,729.