To ease travel through Denali National Park in Alaska, the National Park Service has approved funding for a bridge that should alleviate closures related to landslide activity.
The work will focus on an area that has faced its share of problems related to landslides and climate change. the Anchorage Daily News reported.
“Investing in a permanent and sustainable solution for access at Denali National Park is exactly the type of project the new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is intended to fund," NPS Director Chuck Sams said in a release. "We’ll be able to expand access to the outdoors, protect America’s public lands, and safeguard critical park infrastructure."
The Department of the Interior announced Jan. 13 in a release that $25 million will be set aside to support construction of a 400-foot steel bridge above the Pretty Rocks Landslide area.
“This important investment will bolster community resilience and strengthen our response to the effects of climate change, while also increasing visitor access to Alaska’s treasured outdoors,” said DOI Secretary Deb Haaland. “The construction of this project invests in Alaska’s vibrant outdoor recreation economy and will ensure access for future generations. We appreciate the Alaska congressional delegation’s leadership in the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which has made this investment in Denali National Park possible.”
A landslide caused the closure of that part of the park near Polychrome Pass in August 2021, according to the NPS. Wonder Lake Campground and the Eielson Visitor Center were also closed. The rest of the park has remained open, the Park Service said, but motor vehicles can only drive to Mile 42 of Denali Park Road. Park officials said the road will not reopen past that point in 2022, ADN reported.
