ALASKA HIGHWAY
Carrying ALASKA HIGHWAY over JOHNSON RIVER
MILE POINT 156.1, Southeast Fairbanks, Alaska
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: ALASKA HIGHWAY
The ALASKA HIGHWAY bridge in Southeast Fairbanks, Alaska carries ALASKA HIGHWAY over JOHNSON RIVER. It was built in 1944, making it 82 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1952, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 5 sections, stretching 297.0 meters (974 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 180 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Alaska bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. A component scored 4 or below, placing this bridge in the federal Poor condition category rather than declaring it unsafe or closed. Its NBI inventory load rating is 25.3 metric tons.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How ALASKA HIGHWAY compares
Live comparison across Alaska.
Historical Sufficiency Rating
PlainBridge-computedFHWA discontinued this calculated item; it does not determine current condition, funding eligibility, posting, or closure. How the historical reference is calculated.
Condition Ratings
Full 0–9 scale + sufficiency-rating breakdown: how condition ratings work.
Structural Details
- Year Built
- 1944
- Last Reconstructed
- 1952
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 5
- Structure Length
- 297.0 m (974 ft)
- Deck Width
- 8.2 m (27 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 180 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 0518
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration that may require priority repair.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in fair condition (5/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
How to read this record
ALASKA HIGHWAY is in the federal Poor condition category. That is a component-based result, not a closure order.
- NBI condition ratings reflect the latest record in this annual dataset, not a live status. Current routine inspection intervals are risk-based.
- Understand what Poor condition does and does not mean before drawing conclusions. Poor condition explained
- Compare ALASKA HIGHWAY against other structures in Southeast Fairbanks and across Alaska. Alaska bridges
- Noticed visible damage or a safety concern? Report it to the agency that owns the bridge, or call 911 in an emergency. How to report a bridge
Condition codes come straight from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory and are not a real-time safety judgment. Only the owning agency, a state DOT, county, or other owner, can post, restrict, or close a bridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the condition ratings mean for ALASKA HIGHWAY?
ALASKA HIGHWAY in Southeast Fairbanks, Alaska has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is ALASKA HIGHWAY inspected?
ALASKA HIGHWAY's responsible agency sets its routine interval under FHWA's risk-based inspection rules; this page does not expose the scheduled interval. It carries about 180 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. ALASKA HIGHWAY is currently shown as Poor condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for ALASKA HIGHWAY?
ALASKA HIGHWAY has an NBI inventory load rating of 25.3 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining ALASKA HIGHWAY?
ALASKA HIGHWAY is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is ALASKA HIGHWAY and does age affect safety?
ALASKA HIGHWAY was built in 1944, making it 82 years old and last reconstructed in 1952.
Disclaimer: Bridge condition data is from the FHWA NBI and reflects the last reported inspection. A Poor condition rating is not a live declaration that a bridge is closed or unsafe for travel. For current closure, posting, or safety information, contact the responsible transportation agency.
Every figure on PlainBridge is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.