Transportation
RSSAlaska News covers transportation issues including highway maintenance, transit planning, road closures, and infrastructure projects affecting Alaska.
DOT proposes 20-year FAA deals at three rural airports, no rent
You know what they say, everything good in this life is free
by Alaska News3mo ago1 min read
Bering Air seeks Nome and Unalakleet lease updates — at the same airports the NTSB is investigating
Bering Air is seeking lease extensions at Nome and Unalakleet airports while the NTSB investigates the February 2025 crash of Flight 445 that killed 10 people, citing overweight aircraft as a major factor.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min read
Federal highway chief commits to King Cove Road action
Federal Highway Administrator committed to finalize the Road, an 11-mile project connecting the community to Cold Bay's airport, and will visit Alaska in late June.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Trump order on off-road vehicle rules could reshape Alaska federal-land access fights
Trump rescinded executive orders requiring federal agencies to minimize off-road vehicle damage to wildlife and soils, potentially reshaping access rules on Alaska's 60 percent federally owned lands.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
DOT&PF lifts weight limits on Dalton, Elliott highways; dozens of Interior roads still restricted
Elliott and Dalton highways lifted all seasonal weight limits Friday. • Parks, Richardson, Glenn, and Alaska highways returned to summer permitting. • Dozen Interior roads remain restricted to 50 to 100 percent of legal axle load.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min read
DOT&PF cuts Chiniak Highway to 50 percent axle load during fishing season
Alaska DOT&PF cut Chiniak Highway to 50 percent axle load from milepost 20.1 to 33.39 effective May 27 to protect pavement during spring thaw and fishing season truck traffic on Kodiak Island.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min readDOT seeks rural input on statewide transportation planning process
Alaska DOT is updating how rural communities shape statewide transportation planning and seeking input through June 7, but has received only eight rural responses to its survey so far.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Alaska House passes bill requiring human operators in commercial autonomous vehicles
Alaska House passed HB 217 requiring a human operator in certain commercial autonomous vehicles, sending the bill to Senate State Affairs Committee despite opposition from industry groups and the state transportation department.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min readAnchorage airport noise study to present mitigation alternatives by summer
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is studying aircraft noise impacts and will present mitigation options at public meetings by mid-summer 2026.
by Alaska Newsadded 4mo ago1 min readState confirms narrow lanes, pilot-car delays on Seward Highway through summer
Alaska Department of Transportation is narrowing lanes and running pilot-car escorts on the Seward Highway between milepost 25.5 and 36 through summer to rehabilitate a 10.5-mile segment near Kenai Lake and Moose Pass.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
House panel approves $580 billion transportation bill with rail safety provisions
House committee approved $580 billion five-year transportation bill with new rail safety rules. • Rail provisions require two-person crews, wayside defect detectors, and faster phase-out of older tank cars. • Bill funds $50 billion for bridges and $65 billion for rail over five years. • New fees on electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids generate first Highway Trust Fund revenue since 1993.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Pedestrian dies after being struck by two vans on Glenn Highway near Boniface
A pedestrian died Tuesday morning after being struck by two vans on the Glenn Highway near Boniface Parkway, according to an Anchorage Police Department statement.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Alaska DOT restricts truck weights on Central Region roads starting June 1
Alaska DOT limits truck weights on Central Region roads starting June 1 to protect roads during spring thaw. Most paved roads restricted to 75 percent of legal axle load, gravel roads to 50 percent. Six roads face strictest limits at 50 percent with no overloads allowed.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Ketchikan closes Gorge and Sayles streets through fall 2026 for viaduct replacement
Ketchikan closes Gorge and Sayles streets through fall 2026 for viaduct replacement, forcing drivers to use alternate routes while crews work six days a week.
by Alaska Newsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Glenn Highway bridge closure forces Birchwood detour through June 2
Glenn Highway northbound bridge closed April 18 for 45 days. All traffic uses southbound span with 11-foot lanes and 45 MPH limit through June 2. • Birchwood Loop on-ramp closed. Detour via Old Glenn Highway to next entrance. • 20 to 30 million dollar project covers bridge deck repair. Completion August 2026. • Lane configuration shifts daily by time to manage peak commuter flows.
by Alaska Newsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Assembly transfers nine riverfront parcels to state for erosion control
Alaska borough transfers nine riverfront parcels to the state to build erosion barriers before the Matanuska River threatens the highway.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Anchorage airport says TSA wait times are back to seasonal normal
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport says TSA wait times are back to normal, but advises arriving two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights as summer travel picks up.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Alaska DOT imposes four-tier weight limits on Northern Region roads
Alaska DOT limits truck weights on Northern Region roads starting May 21 due to spring thaw. • Restrictions range from 50 to 100 percent of legal axle load depending on road condition. • Major highways like Parks Highway stay at full weight, while rural roads drop to 50 percent. • Elliot and Dalton highways exempt from seasonal limits.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min readConstituent complaint drives classic car import law through Legislature
Alaska House passed a bill updating classic car import rules to match federal standards, allowing cars 25 years old or older to be registered instead of only pre-1981 models, after a constituent could not register a federally legal vehicle.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Chiniak Highway hit with 50% weight limit, toughest in Kodiak area
A six-mile section of Chiniak Highway faces a 50% weight restriction starting May 15, 2026, the most severe seasonal limit in the Kodiak road system.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min readDeadhorse Airport fence project reaches 3,500 feet of installation
Contractors have installed 3,500 linear feet of insulation board for a wildlife perimeter fence at Deadhorse Airport as part of drainage and safety improvements at the North Slope facility.
by Alaska Newsadded 4mo ago4 min readAlaska Marijuana Board schedules special session on Anchorage ordinance
The Alaska Marijuana Control Board has scheduled a special meeting for June 3, 2026, to address Anchorage Administrative Order 360, separate from its regular June meeting.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min readMcCarthy Road opens for season with difficult conditions, 35 mph advisory
The McCarthy Road opened May 8 for the season with fair to difficult conditions including soft shoulders and wet roadway, prompting a 35 mph advisory speed limit on the 60-mile gravel route that provides sole access to McCarthy, Kennicott, and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min readSenate panel advances Whittier land transfer bill without objection
The Senate Community and Regional Affairs Committee unanimously moved House Bill 216 forward Tuesday, advancing legislation that would transfer Alaska Railroad Corporation land to the City of Whittier.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min read
Palmer meeting set for Glenn Highway safety project feedback
Alaska DOT&PF will hold a public meeting June 3 in Palmer to gather feedback on planned safety and capacity improvements to the Glenn Highway between Arctic Avenue and Palmer-Fishhook Road.
by Alaska News4mo ago1 min readKenai health office closed May 7 due to plumbing problems
The Alaska Department of Health office in Kenai will close May 7 due to plumbing issues, with remote workers continuing duties and essential staff reporting as usual.
by Alaska News4mo ago1 min readEngine Trouble Strands Columbia Ferry at Whittier Dock for Four Hours
The AMHS ferry Columbia experienced engine trouble that kept it docked at Whittier for over four hours on May 5, stranding passengers and vehicles bound for Prince William Sound communities.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min readHouse panel holds wildfire evacuation bill over cost, scope concerns
The House Transportation Committee held HB 317, which would require DOT to prioritize maintenance of roads and airports in wildfire-prone areas for evacuation purposes, after concerns emerged about potentially $100+ million implementation costs and unclear scope affecting thousands of miles of roads and 237 airports.
by Alaska News4mo ago3 min read
Alaska bill would require human operators in autonomous freight trucks
The Alaska Senate Transportation Committee heard House Bill 217, which would mandate human safety operators in commercial autonomous vehicles while exempting personal vehicles under 10,000 pounds.
by Alaska News4mo ago3 min read
Alaska House panel advances ban on heavy fuel oil for cruise ships
The House Transportation Committee narrowly adopted a committee substitute restricting heavy petroleum fuel oil use to large commercial passenger vessels, passing 4-3 after debate over environmental protection versus economic impact.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago5 min read
Alaska Senate panel hears bill requiring human operators in commercial autonomous vehicles
The Senate Transportation Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 148, which would require human safety operators in commercial autonomous vehicles operating in Alaska, citing the state's extreme weather conditions as a safety concern.
by Alaska News5mo ago3 min read
Senate panel hears autonomous vehicle bill requiring human operators
The Senate Transportation Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 148, which would require human safety operators in commercial autonomous vehicles operating in Alaska.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Early construction work causes two-hour delays on Palmer commute
Construction work starting at 6 a.m. on April 23 caused two-hour delays for Palmer commuters during morning rush hour.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min readAlaska considers ban on driverless commercial trucks amid safety debate
The Alaska House Community and Regional Affairs Committee heard testimony on HB 217, which would require human drivers in all commercial autonomous vehicles, effectively banning driverless operations statewide.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago3 min read
