Alaska Railroad Billion Slough Pedestrian Walkway update
Written by jrood
An Alaska Railroad bridge crew will complete a new pedestrian bridge connected to the outside of the new bridge that was constructed in 2007/2008 over Billion Slough at Alaska Railroad milepost 227.9. This federally funded project includes construction of a new pedestrian walkway to replace the existing Chase Trail Bridge nearby.
Work is scheduled to
begin Thursday, January 21, and is expected to require about a week to
complete. Chase Trail users should use the frozen slough to cross. The existing
bridge will be marked with reflective cones to indicate the work area. The
public is asked to maintain a safe distance from the work area until the new
bridge is in place. The old Chase Trail Bridge will be removed.
Over the years, more
water from the Talkeetna River has been flowing into the slough, causing
frequent high water and debris problems. The new railroad bridge was designed
to be taller and longer in order to accommodate increased flow and debris.
Likewise, the Chase Bridge Trail has become susceptible to changing slough
conditions and the replacement pedestrian bridge will better accommodate these
changes.
The new pedestrian bridge
will not be narrower than the old pedestrian bridge.
The $2.78-million Billion
Slough Bridge project is funded by the Federal Transit Administration, Federal
Railroad Administration and matching funds from the Alaska Railroad.
