According to the State of Alaska’s Department of Transportation and Public Facilities website, Upper Valley residents and visitors should expect construction along the Parks Highway this summer.
Alaska DOT has completed designs for phases one and two of their drainage and culverts improvement project. And they expect to construct them this year. Phase one will address ten of the worst culverts between Miles 99 and 137. Phase two is the Railroad Creek culvert at Mile 128.5, which will be replaced with a bridge.
The majority of Phase 3 culverts are located between the Talkeetna Spur Road and Petersville Road in Trapper Creek. These seven culverts are likely to be replaced in 2027. In all, 24 culverts and the bridge are expected to be replaced in the first four phases.
No construction date is estimated for Phase four and beyond. Future phases will address 70 more culverts in poor condition.
Alaska DOT notes on their website that many of the culverts were built more than 50 years ago when the Parks Highway was initially constructed. They note that some of the infrastructure is showing signs of deterioration and they are addressing the most critical issues first. KTNA reached out to Alaska DOT for comments, but did not receive a response before publication.
