News Release

Pretty Rocks Bridge Complete, Paving Way for Return of Public Access to the West End of Denali Park Road

The completed bridge on September 2, 2026

NPS Photo

News Release Date: September 3, 2026
Contact: AKRO Public Affairs

DENALI PARK, Alaska —  The National Park Service, Federal Highway Administration and project partners celebrated the completion of the Pretty Rocks Bridge with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Denali National Park and Preserve yesterday, marking a major milestone in restoring access to the west end of Denali Park Road following the Pretty Rocks landslide and road closure in August 2021. 

The new bridge spans the active landslide near mile 45 of the Denali Park Road, reconnecting the eastern and western portions of the road. Public bus service to the west end of the road is expected to resume for the 2027 visitor season. 

“This is an exciting milestone for Denali and for everyone who has worked over the past five years to restore access to the west end of the park road,” said Denali National Park and Preserve Superintendent Brooke Merrell. “Building a bridge across an active landslide in one of the most remote and challenging environments in the country required extraordinary collaboration, innovation and determination. We are grateful to the Federal Highway Administration, our project partners and the many people who made this possible, and we look forward to welcoming visitors back to the west end by bus in 2027.” 

The roughly 475-foot bridge provides a long-term solution at one of the most challenging locations along the Denali Park Road. The Pretty Rocks landslide forced the National Park Service to close the road in August 2021, interrupting vehicle access to destinations and facilities west of the landslide, including Eielson Visitor Center, Wonder Lake, park residential and maintenance facilities, and Kantishna, including privately owned properties and tourism businesses. 

 The National Park Service and the Federal Highway Administration's Western Federal Lands Highway Division worked together to develop and implement the Polychrome Area Plan to restore reliable access across the landslide. 

The approximately $230 million project was funded through a combination of federal transportation, disaster supplemental and infrastructure funding.
 
Engineering across an active landslide 
Constructing the Pretty Rocks Bridge required engineers and construction crews to overcome steep terrain, complex geology, permafrost conditions, a remote work site and a limited Alaska construction season. 

Rather than continuing to maintain a road directly across the active landslide, the new bridge spans the unstable area. The 475-foot-long steel truss bridge is approximately 50 feet tall and 24 feet wide. The bridge was assembled on the east side of the landslide and launched across the unstable area in 2025 before being lowered into its final position. 

The bridge also uses 23 thermosiphons — underground devices that help keep the permafrost beneath the eastern end of the bridge frozen and stable. 

Preparing for visitors in 2027 
With construction complete, NPS crews are addressing road repairs and deferred maintenance at facilities west of Pretty Rocks in preparation for the 2027 visitor season. 

As of Aug. 27, hikers and cyclists can travel west of East Fork at mile 43 and cross the Pretty Rocks Bridge. Buses will continue to travel no farther than East Fork for the remainder of the 2026 visitor season. Full bus service along the Denali Park Road is expected to resume in 2027. 

Restoring access to the west end also supports Alaska's tourism economy. In 2024, visitors to Denali National Park and Preserve spent more than $600 million in communities near the park, supporting more than 5,600 jobs and generating nearly $880 million in economic output. 

Visitors planning a trip to Denali in 2027 should continue to check the Denali National Park and Preserve website for the latest trip-planning and road-access information. 

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