Federal record rates Ketchikan's Water Street viaduct 'Poor'

The Water Street viaduct, the elevated roadway carrying about 14,000 vehicles a day through downtown Ketchikan, is rated in poor condition — and the money the state has committed so far pays for repairs, not the replacement the aging span ultimately needs.

The bridge, built in 1955, earned an overall "poor" rating in the federal government's 2025 bridge inventory, dragged down by its deteriorating support structure. It's the busiest of Ketchikan's poor-rated bridges; the borough has 12 of them out of 107, roughly twice the national rate. The companion Tongass Avenue viaduct, from 1956, rates a notch better, at "fair."

For now, the state is funding near-term fixes — spot pavement and bridge repairs, a culvert replacement, utility upgrades, and pedestrian improvements at the S-curve where the two streets meet. The department says those repairs are meant to prevent unexpected closures "until the bridges can be replaced," with full replacement of both viaducts pursued as separate future projects.

Replacement is a long way off, and expensive. The state's current improvement program funds $8.2 million in corridor work through 2027 that does not include replacing the bridges. A city project estimate puts the broader viaduct-replacement job at $50 million to $60 million. Preliminary engineering has begun, but the timelines the state has shown range widely — new construction starting somewhere between 2028 and 2030, with the overall program potentially running into the late 2030s.

The department says the 1950s bridges and the aging water and sewer lines beneath them need replacing to stay safe and reliable "for decades to come," and plans to coordinate with the City of Ketchikan on the utility work. It also expects to need property from some private owners along the route. Traffic is only projected to grow — Tongass Avenue's daily count could climb by nearly half by 2035.

The state is taking questions at an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29, in the large meeting room of the Ketchikan Public Library. Much remains unsettled, including any load restrictions, exactly when construction starts, and which properties will be needed.

Everything here comes from the department's own materials; the city, borough, tribes, and the drivers and freight haulers who cross the span daily are not quoted.