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Transportation

Transportation in Alaska is the network of highways, ferries, airports and transit systems connecting its communities. It tracks highway maintenance, closures and construction, Alaska Marine Highway System ferries, and local transportation planning and safety projects.

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Week of Aug 3

A separated path toward Hatcher Pass would get walkers and cyclists off Palmer-Fishhook Road's dangerous shoulders

A planned 8.5-mile path would finally get walkers and cyclists off Palmer-Fishhook Road's white-knuckle shoulders — if the Mat-Su Borough can pull together the $4.5 million to build it.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: A separated path toward Hatcher Pass would get walkers and cyclists off Palmer-Fishhook Road's dangerous shoulders

70 homes, one way out: Wasilla weighs fixing a risky railroad crossing on Lucille Lake

Over 70 Lucille Lake homes share one risky way out — a steep rail crossing that's also the only path for fire and ambulance. Wasilla eyes $5.25M to fix it.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: 70 homes, one way out: Wasilla weighs fixing a risky railroad crossing on Lucille Lake

Interior Alaska's spring-thaw weight limits lift Wednesday for haulers

Spring-thaw weight limits are lifting on Interior Alaska roads Wednesday — haulers can apply for overweight permits again, but full loads aren't automatic.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News3mo ago1 min read
Interior Alaska
Cover image for article: Interior Alaska's spring-thaw weight limits lift Wednesday for haulers

Parks Highway delays ease on one stretch, but not the next

Parks Highway traffic control is gone between MP 322 and 325 after a haul-truck crossing opened, but the next stretch south still has speed limits and diversions until 2028.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Parks Highway, Alaska
Cover image for article: Parks Highway delays ease on one stretch, but not the next

Week of Jul 27

A $1.5 billion Seward Highway plan pits safety against the Turnagain Arm viewshed

A $1.5 billion Seward Highway rebuild has split Anchorage — the state says it's a safety fix for a deadly corridor; a coalition of critics says it's a highway-widening project that would scar Turnagain Arm.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: A $1.5 billion Seward Highway plan pits safety against the Turnagain Arm viewshed

Cordova's road-safety plan could unlock federal money to fix its streets

Cordova's new road-safety plan could unlock federal grants to fix dangerous streets. Residents have until Sept. 1 to flag the spots that need it.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Cordova's road-safety plan could unlock federal money to fix its streets

Eielson airshow returns this weekend, with brief highway stops for the flyovers

Eielson's Arctic Lightning Airshow flies this weekend, free and open to all. Drivers on the Richardson Highway near the base should expect brief stops during the flyovers.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Richardson Highway near Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska
Cover image for article: Eielson airshow returns this weekend, with brief highway stops for the flyovers

Sterling Highway closed in both directions at Milepost 164 after collision

Sterling Highway closed in both directions at Milepost 164 after a multi-vehicle crash Thursday afternoon, expected to remain closed into the evening.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Sterling Highway, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Cover image for article: Sterling Highway closed in both directions at Milepost 164 after collision

More from Transportation

Tree closes all lanes of North Glenn Highway near mile 71

When a tree falls on the North Glenn and nobody is around to see it, can the highway be shut down at all?

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
North Glenn Highway near mile 71, Mat-Su Valley, Alaska
Cover image for article: Tree closes all lanes of North Glenn Highway near mile 71

The new Richardson Highway bridge takes shape at Mile 346

The last girders are up on the new Richardson Highway bridge at Mile 346 — a rebuild aimed at reopening a key Valdez-to-Canada freight route to heavy loads.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: The new Richardson Highway bridge takes shape at Mile 346

Chena Small Tracts Road closed for the season as roundabout goes in

Chena Small Tracts Road is closed for the season while a roundabout goes in. West Fairbanks: your detours are Palo Verde, Amherst and Dartmouth.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Chena Small Tracts Road closed for the season as roundabout goes in

It's July, and it's snowing on the road to the Arctic

It's late July and it's snowing on Atigun Pass — the 4,739-foot Brooks Range crossing that's the only road to Alaska's North Slope.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Atigun Pass, Alaska
Cover image for article: It's July, and it's snowing on the road to the Arctic

Week of Jul 20

Nominations open for Arctic shipping panel with reserved Alaska seats

Alaska Native tribes and coastal groups have until Sept. 22 to seek seats on a new federal panel shaping U.S. Arctic shipping policy as sea lanes open.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Nominations open for Arctic shipping panel with reserved Alaska seats

More than 100 land deals stand between Alaska and a safer KGB Road

Alaska can't fix KGB Road until it buys land from 100-plus owners. Elsewhere a Gustavus generator waits on a signature. Everything's sliding to 2027.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: More than 100 land deals stand between Alaska and a safer KGB Road

Anchorage faces federal funding freeze if transportation plan misses December deadline

Anchorage could lose the ability to start new road, trail, and transit projects in December — because the agency funding them can't agree on its border.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min readFrom
Cover image for article: Anchorage faces federal funding freeze if transportation plan misses December deadline

Seward Highway closed both directions at Mile 69 after collision

Seward Highway closed both directions at Mile 69 after a collision early Tuesday morning, with delays expected to last at least one hour.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Seward Highway closed both directions at Mile 69 after collision

About Transportation

Transportation in Alaska takes in the highways, ferries, railroad, airports, barges and transit systems that connect its communities. Major routes include the Parks, Glenn, Seward, Sterling, Richardson and Dalton highways.

The state Department of Transportation and Public Facilities drafts a statewide road plan, and regional planners in Anchorage, Fairbanks and the Mat-Su set which projects get federal money. Crashes and closures on highways recur, along with construction schedules, seasonal road closures and the cost of barge freight to Western, Arctic and Southeast Alaska.

Transportation connects closely to infrastructure, economic development and energy. Local questions include transit and paratransit service, bike and walking paths, roundabouts at dangerous intersections and docks and ports for cruise ships and barges.

More from Transportation

Kawerak extends RFP deadline for construction management services in Bering Strait Region

Kawerak extended its deadline to July 31 for construction management firms to bid on transportation projects across the Bering Strait Region.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min read
Bering Strait Region, Alaska
Cover image for article: Kawerak extends RFP deadline for construction management services in Bering Strait Region

Anchorage planning boundary dispute unresolved between Assembly and state

Anchorage and the state have not resolved a dispute over the Metropolitan Planning Area boundary, and they must agree by December 29, 2026, or the region loses federal transportation funding.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Anchorage planning boundary dispute unresolved between Assembly and state

Fairbanks: Old Chena Ridge Road and Transfer Site access close July 27 for season

Old Chena Ridge Road and Transfer Site access close July 27 through the construction season for roundabout work at the Chena Pump Road intersection, part of a $3 million safety project.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Fairbanks: Old Chena Ridge Road and Transfer Site access close July 27 for season

Week of Jul 13

Landslide closes Ninilchik Beach Access Road near Mission Ave through July 28

A landslide closed Ninilchik Beach Access Road near Mission Avenue through July 28, blocking access to the beach.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Landslide closes Ninilchik Beach Access Road near Mission Ave through July 28

Anchorage Assembly to vote July 21 on $351K for pedestrian and bike count program

Anchorage Assembly votes July 21 on $351,143 to count pedestrians and bikes on city roads and paths, combining federal money with local budget funds.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Anchorage Assembly to vote July 21 on $351K for pedestrian and bike count program

Parks Highway closed at MP 274 near Clear Space Force Station

A disabled semi-truck closed the Parks Highway at Milepost 274 near Clear Space Force Station through Friday, blocking the main route between Anchorage and Fairbanks.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Parks Highway near Clear Space Force Station, Interior Alaska
Cover image for article: Parks Highway closed at MP 274 near Clear Space Force Station

EPA moves to stop Alaska's cold from shutting down diesel engines

Alaska cold can freeze a diesel's emissions fluid and cut its power mid-job. EPA wants to stop the shutdowns before someone's stranded at 40 below.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: EPA moves to stop Alaska's cold from shutting down diesel engines

Week of Jul 6

Juneau's only runway closes overnight, and the medevac plan matters

Juneau's only paved runway closes overnight this weekend for repairs — and since you can't drive to Juneau, there's a backup plan for emergency medevacs, though it wasn't spelled out.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min readFrom
Cover image for article: Juneau's only runway closes overnight, and the medevac plan matters

A slowdown on the Seward Highway this week

A 45 mph limit is on between mileposts 14 and 16 on the Seward Highway for roadside cleanup through July 15 — a stretch that's part of the road's crash-prone Safety Corridor.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Seward Highway, Anchorage, Alaska
Cover image for article: A slowdown on the Seward Highway this week

King Cove finally gets its road, and the lawsuits are still coming

King Cove's long-fought road to the Cold Bay airport has its final federal permit, with construction due in 30 days. Three lawsuits over the refuge land swap are still pending.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: King Cove finally gets its road, and the lawsuits are still coming

Juneau Commission on Aging hears Capital AKcess ridership is rising as ADA approvals grow

Capital AKcess ridership is rising in Juneau as more seniors get ADA approvals, and transit staff told the Commission on Aging they are improving the application process and dispatch system.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min readFrom
Cover image for article: Juneau Commission on Aging hears Capital AKcess ridership is rising as ADA approvals grow

Four ferries in the shop make for a lean Alaska winter

Four Alaska ferries will be down for repairs this winter — one for five months after crews found corroded steel — thinning service for roadless towns that depend on it.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Four ferries in the shop make for a lean Alaska winter

Noatak Airport relocation triggers water quality review as river erodes toward runway

River erosion is forcing Noatak to relocate its airport, and the Army Corps of Engineers opened a water quality review that must clear before construction can start on a new site 1.5 miles west.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Noatak Airport relocation triggers water quality review as river erodes toward runway

Northern Region roads return to full summer loads Friday

Alaska lifts spring weight limits on most Northern Region roads Friday, July 10, letting commercial haulers return to full legal loads, except Tofty Road into Tanana stays capped at 75 percent.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Interior Alaska
Cover image for article: Northern Region roads return to full summer loads Friday

Alaska Marine Highway Operations Board schedules July 24 public meeting

Alaska Marine Highway Operations Board meets July 24, 2026. Full agenda and public comment details will post in the state notice system.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Alaska Marine Highway Operations Board schedules July 24 public meeting

Week of Jun 29

A fish truck rolled on the Seward Highway, cutting off the road into town before the Fourth

A fish truck rolled on the Seward Highway late Friday, scattering its load and closing the road into town for hours — just as crowds arrived for the Fourth and Mount Marathon.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Seward Highway, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Cover image for article: A fish truck rolled on the Seward Highway, cutting off the road into town before the Fourth

Trump pardons an Alaska diesel mechanic, reigniting a fight over emissions rules

Trump pardoned a Wasilla diesel mechanic who removed truck pollution controls — a cold-weather fix, Sullivan says; eroded clean-air enforcement, critics say.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Trump pardons an Alaska diesel mechanic, reigniting a fight over emissions rules

One lane closed on the Alaska Highway at the Johnson River Bridge, through Sunday

One westbound lane of the Alaska Highway is closed at the Johnson River Bridge, about 42 miles south of Delta Junction, through Sunday evening. Expect single-lane traffic control.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Alaska Highway near Delta Junction, Alaska
Cover image for article: One lane closed on the Alaska Highway at the Johnson River Bridge, through Sunday

On the roadless North Slope, the villages' winter road is made of snow

On the roadless North Slope, a snow trail is how cut-off villages get winter fuel. A Native-owned company builds it — across fragile tundra and caribou country.

Bill AlaskaNewsby Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: On the roadless North Slope, the villages' winter road is made of snow

After decades, King Cove's road may finally be coming

Decades of fighting for a road to Cold Bay's all-weather airport — a lifeline in emergencies. Now $18 million in construction money puts it closer than ever.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: After decades, King Cove's road may finally be coming

Crash closes New Seward Hwy southbound at Rabbit Creek Rd

Two people died Wednesday morning when three vehicles crashed into Potter Marsh on the Seward Highway south of Anchorage, closing the road for hours.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Crash closes New Seward Hwy southbound at Rabbit Creek Rd

America's taxi capital is a roadless Alaska town

Bethel, Alaska has more taxis per capita than anywhere in the U.S. — because in a roadless tundra town, cabs are the bus, and this week the city's weighing what a ride should cost.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: America's taxi capital is a roadless Alaska town

Nearly $350 million to replace one ferry — Alaska's lifeline to the Aleutians

Alaska's about to spend nearly $350 million to replace one ferry — the 60-year-old Tustumena. A genuine Aleutian lifeline, but the low bid went to a Louisiana yard.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Alaska
Cover image for article: Nearly $350 million to replace one ferry — Alaska's lifeline to the Aleutians

Week of Jun 22

Richardson Highway off-ramp to Mitchell Expressway closes Saturday

Alaska DOT closes the Richardson Highway off-ramp to Mitchell Expressway on Saturday for routine maintenance.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Interior Alaska
Cover image for article: Richardson Highway off-ramp to Mitchell Expressway closes Saturday