Alaska Highway over Gerstle River
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska · rated Poor in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
- Alaska Highway over Gerstle River in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, is rated in poor condition in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory (as of ).
- Its lowest-rated component is the substructure, rated 4 (poor condition) on the 0-9 scale.
- It was built in 1944, making it 81 years old at the 2025 inventory.
- It carries about 180 vehicles a day (traffic count year 2020).
- Its listed owner is the state highway agency.
- It is one of 7 of the 64 inventoried bridges in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area rated poor (10.9%); 7 (10.9%) are rated poor.
- Its traffic status in the 2025 inventory is posted for load (NBI item 41).
- Its condition class and component ratings are unchanged from the 2024 inventory.
- Status change: newly posted for load since 2024.
- Its most recent inspection on record is dated July 2024, on a 24-month routine inspection cycle.
- It is coded scour critical (NBI item 113 = 3): scour critical: foundations unstable for the assessed or calculated scour.
- It has fracture-critical members (NBI item 92A): steel tension members without a redundant load path, which get their own scheduled inspections.
- A poor rating means at least one major component - deck, superstructure, or substructure - is rated 4 or lower on FHWA's 0-9 scale. It does not by itself mean the bridge is unsafe; bridges judged unsafe are closed or load-restricted by their owners.
View this bridge on a map → (63.81829, -144.91938)
Component ratings
| Component | Rating (2024) | Rating (2025) | FHWA scale meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | 5 | 5 | Fair condition |
| Superstructure | 5 | 5 | Fair condition |
| Substructure | 4 | 4 | Poor condition |
Bridge details
| Structure | Steel through truss |
| Length | about 1,819 ft |
| Location | Mile Point 168.3 |
| NBI structure number | 0520 |
| Condition class | Poor |
| Traffic status (item 41) | Posted for load |
| Last inspection (item 90) | July 2024 |
| Inspection interval (item 91) | 24 months |
| Scour (item 113) | 3: scour critical: foundations unstable for the assessed or calculated scour |
| Fracture critical (item 92A) | Yes |
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2025 data as reported by the Alaska department of transportation.
Busiest bridges in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richardson Highway over Tanana River Big Delta | 1966 | 1,990 | Fair |
| Richardson Highway over Jarvis Creek | 2015 | 1,880 | Good |
| Delta-nistler Road over Jarvis Creek Overflow #1 | 1996 | 1,250 | Good |
| Delta-nistler Road over Jarvis Creek Overflow #2 | 1996 | 1,250 | Good |
| Delta-nistler Road over Jarvis Creek Overflow #3 | 1996 | 1,250 | Good |
| Richardson Highway over Shaw Creek | 2011 | 1,000 | Good |
All bridges nearby: Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK bridge conditions · every bridge in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area · Alaska bridges.
Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.