ARRC is acting now to raise the bridge above the floodwater elevation, which will protect the bridge from future flooding. Before ARRC can build their improvements, construction work on the Seward Hwy at MP 14 must be completed, which will provide ARRC with the vertical and horizontal clearances they need for their track grade raise.

In response to ARRC raising the railroad bridge above floodwaters and debris generated by glacial outburst, the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) needs to also raise the road and install a bridge on the Seward Hwy at MP 14. The existing structural plate undercrossing that allows the railroad tracks to pass beneath the highway does not have enough vertical clearance to accommodate the proposed track raise; therefore, the structure must be replaced, and the highway must be raised to provide minimum clearance.

Construction is anticipated as early as summer 2026.

Throughout construction, a two-lane detour will be maintained to allow northbound and southbound traffic continued access through the construction zone. During active construction, occasional flaggers will stop traffic from one or both directions for up to 10 minutes. The new bridge is being constructed to the East of the current overpass and road alignment. The existing road overpass will remain intact and will facilitate traffic while the new bridge is being constructed. Once the bridge is completed, traffic will be transitioned over to the new bridge.

The structure will be a traditional bridge structure rather than another structural plate pipe because ARRC’s current technical guidelines recommend a minimum railway clear zone that is most easily accommodated by a traditional bridge. The bridge will provide both the vertical and horizontal clearances necessary to comply with ARRC’s requirements.

While the ARRC Snow River Bridge project and the Seward Hwy MP 14 project are two separate undertakings, both agencies are working together to ensure project cohesion.

The current Statewide Transportation Improvement Program includes $20 million for construction. As design progresses, the estimated construction cost will be refined, and the total price may increase or decrease based on analysis and field conditions discovered through survey and geotechnical explorations. This cost estimate is for the roadway project and does not include improvements to the railroad tracks or the ARRC bridge over Snow River.