{
  "story": {
    "slug": "alaska-s-highest-bridge-yet",
    "headline": "alaska's highest bridge yet",
    "deck": "Alaska is building its highest bridge ever to finally fix the worst traffic crawl on the road to the Kenai.",
    "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/story/alaska-s-highest-bridge-yet",
    "section": "Economy",
    "area": null,
    "published_at": "2026-05-29T20:00:00+00:00",
    "updated_at": "2026-10-02T06:13:46.886812+00:00",
    "body_md": "Construction has ramped back up for the 2026 season on the Cooper Landing Bypass, the Sterling Highway Milepost 45 to 60 project on the Kenai Peninsula that will reroute traffic around the longtime bottleneck through Cooper Landing. The signature piece of the project is the Juneau Creek Bridge, a single-span steel structure that will stand about 285 feet above Juneau Creek Canyon, making it the highest bridge in Alaska and the longest single-span bridge in the state at roughly 928 feet long.\n\nFor drivers from Anchorage, the Mat-Su, Soldotna, Kenai, or Homer who use the Sterling Highway to fish the Russian River or reach the southern Kenai Peninsula each summer, the bypass is the project meant to finally end one of Alaska's most notorious traffic jams.\n\nCrews plan to build the bridge span back from the canyon rim, then launch it across the gap. The bridge alone carries an estimated price tag near 150 million dollars.\n\nThe wider bypass project began in 2021 and is not expected to open to traffic until around 2032. The project still needs hundreds of millions of dollars more in funding before it can be completed.",
    "sources": [
      {
        "url": "https://www.kbbi.org/2026-04-20/state-plans-dozens-of-kenai-peninsula-road-projects-for-summer",
        "label": "kbbi.org"
      }
    ]
  },
  "envelope": {
    "story_id": "d48a5273-e546-4ab2-aa6f-63375214fedd",
    "slug": "alaska-s-highest-bridge-yet",
    "summary": "The Cooper Landing Bypass on Alaska's Sterling Highway is under construction in 2026, featuring the Juneau Creek Bridge, a single-span steel bridge about 285 feet high and roughly 928 feet long, set to become Alaska's highest and longest single-span bridge, with full bypass completion expected around 2032.",
    "key_facts": [
      "The Cooper Landing Bypass reroutes the Sterling Highway at Milepost 45 to 60 on the Kenai Peninsula.",
      "The Juneau Creek Bridge will stand about 285 feet above the canyon, making it Alaska's highest bridge.",
      "The bridge will be roughly 928 feet long, the longest single-span bridge in the state.",
      "The bridge alone is estimated to cost near 150 million dollars.",
      "The wider bypass project began in 2021 and is not expected to open to traffic until around 2032, pending hundreds of millions more in funding."
    ],
    "faq": [
      {
        "a": "On the Kenai Peninsula, rerouting the Sterling Highway around Cooper Landing between Milepost 45 and 60.",
        "q": "where is cooper landing bypass being built alaska"
      },
      {
        "a": "About 285 feet above the canyon and roughly 928 feet long, making it Alaska's highest and longest single-span bridge. It'll change your drive on the way to the Kenai.",
        "q": "how tall is juneau creek bridge new alaska"
      },
      {
        "a": "The bridge alone is estimated near 150 million dollars.",
        "q": "how much does juneau creek bridge cost"
      },
      {
        "a": "Not until around 2032, and the full project still needs hundreds of millions more in funding.",
        "q": "when does cooper landing bypass open traffic"
      }
    ],
    "claims": [
      {
        "claim": "The Juneau Creek Bridge will be about 285 feet above the canyon, making it the highest bridge in Alaska.",
        "confidence": "sourced",
        "source_url": "https://www.kbbi.org/2026-04-20/state-plans-dozens-of-kenai-peninsula-road-projects-for-summer",
        "source_label": "kbbi.org"
      },
      {
        "claim": "The bridge will be roughly 928 feet long, the longest single-span bridge in Alaska.",
        "confidence": "sourced",
        "source_url": "https://www.kbbi.org/2026-04-20/state-plans-dozens-of-kenai-peninsula-road-projects-for-summer",
        "source_label": "kbbi.org"
      },
      {
        "claim": "The bridge alone carries an estimated price tag near 150 million dollars.",
        "confidence": "sourced",
        "source_url": "https://www.kbbi.org/2026-04-20/state-plans-dozens-of-kenai-peninsula-road-projects-for-summer",
        "source_label": "kbbi.org"
      },
      {
        "claim": "The wider Cooper Landing Bypass began in 2021 and is not expected to open until around 2032.",
        "confidence": "sourced",
        "source_url": "https://www.kbbi.org/2026-04-20/state-plans-dozens-of-kenai-peninsula-road-projects-for-summer",
        "source_label": "kbbi.org"
      }
    ],
    "locations": [
      {
        "area": "Kenai",
        "kind": "city",
        "name": "Cooper Landing"
      },
      {
        "area": "Kenai",
        "kind": "site",
        "name": "Juneau Creek Canyon"
      },
      {
        "area": "Kenai",
        "kind": "road",
        "name": "Sterling Highway"
      },
      {
        "area": "Kenai",
        "kind": "site",
        "name": "Russian River"
      },
      {
        "area": "Kenai",
        "kind": "region",
        "name": "Kenai Peninsula"
      }
    ],
    "people": [],
    "organizations": [],
    "event_dates": [
      {
        "date": "2021",
        "label": "Cooper Landing Bypass project begins"
      },
      {
        "date": "2032",
        "label": "Expected bypass opening to traffic"
      }
    ],
    "story_status": "ongoing",
    "what_changed": null,
    "keywords": [
      "cooper landing bypass",
      "juneau creek bridge",
      "sterling highway",
      "kenai peninsula road project",
      "alaska highest bridge",
      "longest single-span bridge alaska",
      "russian river traffic"
    ],
    "disclosure": "Produced with AI assistance, narrated with Slav Lund's voice clone with his consent, and reviewed by a person before publishing.",
    "generated_at": "2026-10-01T05:20:15.72+00:00",
    "reviewed_at": null,
    "updated_at": "2026-10-02T06:13:46.886812+00:00"
  },
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      "name": "Cooper Landing Bypass",
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      "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/codex/cooper-landing-bypass"
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    {
      "slug": "juneau-creek-bridge",
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  "corrections": [],
  "underwriting": null,
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    "description": "The Cooper Landing Bypass on Alaska's Sterling Highway is under construction in 2026, featuring the Juneau Creek Bridge, a single-span steel bridge about 285 feet high and roughly 928 feet long, set to become Alaska's highest and longest single-span bridge, with full bypass completion expected around 2032.",
    "abstract": "The Cooper Landing Bypass on Alaska's Sterling Highway is under construction in 2026, featuring the Juneau Creek Bridge, a single-span steel bridge about 285 feet high and roughly 928 feet long, set to become Alaska's highest and longest single-span bridge, with full bypass completion expected around 2032.",
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