{
  "story": {
    "slug": "wwii-bridges-getting-replaced",
    "headline": "wwii bridges getting replaced",
    "deck": "The federal government has committed $108 million to replace two World War II-era Alaska bridges that have carried traffic for more than 80 years.",
    "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/story/wwii-bridges-getting-replaced",
    "section": "Politics",
    "area": "Fairbanks",
    "published_at": "2026-04-13T20:00:00+00:00",
    "updated_at": "2026-10-01T05:24:24.170241+00:00",
    "body_md": "The federal government has awarded $108 million to replace the Johnson River and Gerstle River bridges, two Interior Alaska spans along the route connecting Tok and Fairbanks. Both bridges were built by the Army Corps of Engineers during World War II.\n\nThe bridges were designed for a 50-year service life. They have been in use for more than 80 years, and officials say both remain safe to cross even though they are well past their intended lifespan. Drivers, freight haulers and anyone relying on that stretch of highway between Tok and Fairbanks depend on these crossings staying open.\n\nConstruction on the Johnson River bridge is scheduled to begin in 2027. The Gerstle River bridge project follows in 2029.\n\nThe project is the first major bridge replacement funded under a new federal program aimed at bridges of this scale.",
    "sources": [
      {
        "url": "https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/04/02/federal-government-allocates-108-million-replace-two-alaska-bridges/`",
        "label": "alaskasnewssource.com"
      }
    ]
  },
  "envelope": {
    "story_id": "40d5ee2a-7547-41e8-b4c3-e6e4a1bf9289",
    "slug": "wwii-bridges-getting-replaced",
    "summary": "The federal government awarded $108 million to replace the Johnson River and Gerstle River bridges on the Tok to Fairbanks route, both built by the Army Corps of Engineers in WWII. Construction starts 2027 and 2029 under a new federal bridge program.",
    "key_facts": [
      "$108 million federal award funds replacement of two Interior Alaska bridges",
      "Johnson River and Gerstle River bridges were built by the Army Corps of Engineers during World War II",
      "Bridges were designed for a 50 year lifespan and have been in use for more than 80 years",
      "Construction on the Johnson River bridge begins in 2027",
      "Construction on the Gerstle River bridge begins in 2029",
      "This is the first major bridge replacement funded under a new federal program targeting bridges of this scale"
    ],
    "faq": [],
    "claims": [
      {
        "claim": "The federal government awarded $108 million to replace the Johnson River and Gerstle River bridges",
        "confidence": "reported",
        "source_url": null,
        "source_label": "alaskasnewssource.com"
      },
      {
        "claim": "Both bridges were built by the Army Corps of Engineers during World War II",
        "confidence": "reported",
        "source_url": null,
        "source_label": "alaskasnewssource.com"
      },
      {
        "claim": "Construction on the Johnson River bridge begins in 2027 and the Gerstle River bridge project follows in 2029",
        "confidence": "reported",
        "source_url": null,
        "source_label": "alaskasnewssource.com"
      },
      {
        "claim": "This is the first major bridge replacement funded under a new federal program targeting bridges of this scale",
        "confidence": "reported",
        "source_url": null,
        "source_label": "alaskasnewssource.com"
      }
    ],
    "locations": [
      {
        "area": "Interior",
        "kind": "facility",
        "name": "Johnson River Bridge"
      },
      {
        "area": "Interior",
        "kind": "facility",
        "name": "Gerstle River Bridge"
      },
      {
        "area": "Interior",
        "kind": "city",
        "name": "Tok"
      },
      {
        "area": "Fairbanks",
        "kind": "city",
        "name": "Fairbanks"
      },
      {
        "area": "Interior",
        "kind": "road",
        "name": "Richardson Highway"
      }
    ],
    "people": [],
    "organizations": [
      {
        "kind": "military",
        "name": "Army Corps of Engineers"
      }
    ],
    "event_dates": [
      {
        "date": "2027",
        "label": "Johnson River bridge construction begins"
      },
      {
        "date": "2029",
        "label": "Gerstle River bridge construction begins"
      }
    ],
    "story_status": "scheduled",
    "what_changed": null,
    "keywords": [
      "johnson river bridge",
      "gerstle river bridge",
      "fairbanks bridge replacement",
      "richardson highway bridges",
      "army corps of engineers alaska",
      "interior alaska infrastructure",
      "federal bridge funding alaska"
    ],
    "disclosure": "Produced with AI assistance, narrated with Slav Lund's voice clone with his consent, and reviewed by a person before publishing.",
    "generated_at": "2026-10-01T05:24:24.133+00:00",
    "reviewed_at": null,
    "updated_at": "2026-10-01T05:24:24.170241+00:00"
  },
  "entities": [
    {
      "slug": "gerstle-river-bridge",
      "name": "Gerstle River Bridge",
      "kind": "project",
      "role": "subject",
      "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/codex/gerstle-river-bridge"
    },
    {
      "slug": "johnson-river-bridge",
      "name": "Johnson River Bridge",
      "kind": "project",
      "role": "subject",
      "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/codex/johnson-river-bridge"
    },
    {
      "slug": "army-corps-of-engineers",
      "name": "Army Corps of Engineers",
      "kind": "organization",
      "role": "mentioned",
      "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/codex/army-corps-of-engineers"
    },
    {
      "slug": "richardson-highway",
      "name": "Richardson Highway",
      "kind": "place",
      "role": "location",
      "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/codex/richardson-highway"
    }
  ],
  "corrections": [],
  "underwriting": null,
  "jsonld": {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "NewsArticle",
    "headline": "wwii bridges getting replaced",
    "description": "The federal government awarded $108 million to replace the Johnson River and Gerstle River bridges on the Tok to Fairbanks route, both built by the Army Corps of Engineers in WWII. Construction starts 2027 and 2029 under a new federal bridge program.",
    "abstract": "The federal government awarded $108 million to replace the Johnson River and Gerstle River bridges on the Tok to Fairbanks route, both built by the Army Corps of Engineers in WWII. Construction starts 2027 and 2029 under a new federal bridge program.",
    "datePublished": "2026-04-13T20:00:00+00:00",
    "dateModified": "2026-10-01T05:24:24.170241+00:00",
    "mainEntityOfPage": "https://thedailyalaska.com/story/wwii-bridges-getting-replaced",
    "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/story/wwii-bridges-getting-replaced",
    "author": {
      "@type": "Person",
      "name": "Slav Lund",
      "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/codex/slav-lund"
    },
    "publisher": {
      "@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
      "@id": "https://thedailyalaska.com/#organization",
      "name": "The Daily Alaska",
      "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com",
      "logo": {
        "@type": "ImageObject",
        "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/__l5e/assets-v1/905bb2e5-b597-453b-a39d-7741edb068dc/the-daily-alaska-logo.png"
      }
    },
    "isAccessibleForFree": true,
    "inLanguage": "en-US",
    "articleSection": "Politics",
    "keywords": "johnson river bridge, gerstle river bridge, fairbanks bridge replacement, richardson highway bridges, army corps of engineers alaska, interior alaska infrastructure, federal bridge funding alaska",
    "about": [
      {
        "@type": "Thing",
        "name": "Gerstle River Bridge",
        "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/codex/gerstle-river-bridge"
      },
      {
        "@type": "Thing",
        "name": "Johnson River Bridge",
        "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/codex/johnson-river-bridge"
      }
    ],
    "mentions": [
      {
        "@type": "Thing",
        "name": "Army Corps of Engineers",
        "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/codex/army-corps-of-engineers"
      },
      {
        "@type": "Thing",
        "name": "Richardson Highway",
        "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/codex/richardson-highway"
      }
    ],
    "citation": [
      {
        "@type": "CreativeWork",
        "name": "alaskasnewssource.com",
        "url": "https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/04/02/federal-government-allocates-108-million-replace-two-alaska-bridges/`"
      }
    ],
    "contentLocation": [
      {
        "@type": "Place",
        "name": "Johnson River Bridge"
      },
      {
        "@type": "Place",
        "name": "Gerstle River Bridge"
      },
      {
        "@type": "Place",
        "name": "Tok"
      },
      {
        "@type": "Place",
        "name": "Fairbanks"
      },
      {
        "@type": "Place",
        "name": "Richardson Highway"
      }
    ]
  }
}