Welcome! This blog will share information on bridge construction progress at the Pretty Rocks Landslide in Denali National Park and Preserve. Regular updates will be shared throughout the summer construction season beginning in May 2023.
Background
The Denali Park Road traverses 92 miles of scenic landscapes from the park entrance to Kantishna and provides the only road access into the park. The route was designed to maximize views for those traveling the road. Near the midpoint of the road at Mile 45.4, where the road is built into the side of Polychrome Mountain, a 100 yard (90 m) stretch of the road crosses the Pretty Rocks Landslide. Though the landslide has been active for decades, in recent years the rate at which the slope is slumping has dramatically increased. The landslide evolved from a minor maintenance concern to one that has caused substantial road restrictions. Since late August 2021, the park road has been closed at Mile 43, cutting off vehicle access to popular visitor destinations and facilities including Toklat, Eielson Visitor Center, Wonder Lake, and Kantishna.
The Federal Highways Administration (FHWA), in collaboration with the National Park Service (NPS), developed a plan to restore reliable access along the entire length of the park road. The Polychrome Area Plan includes constructing a bridge to span the Pretty Rocks Landslide. The environmental and cultural compliance processes for the project were completed in March 2022. Funding was secured and a contract was awarded in January 2023 to begin work in summer 2023. Due to the road closure, buses will continue to travel no farther than Mile 43 of the 92-mile Park Road until the bridge is complete, estimated for 2025.
May 2, 2023 Update
Over the past month, Granite Construction has begun moving equipment into the park and setting up a camp at the Teklanika Pit to house workers for the season. They are currently finishing grading the camp site and will install housing units next. On-site work at Pretty Rocks is scheduled to begin later in May. The goal is to complete earthworks and install foundations for the bridge abutments this summer with plans to install the bridge in the summer of 2024.
Grading at the Teklanika Pit