Alaska to Replace Historic Black Veterans Memorial Bridge

State will preserve two trestles as tribute to Black soldiers who built the Alaska Highway

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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The state of Alaska plans to replace the aging Black Veterans Memorial Bridge near Delta Junction, but will keep two of the bridge's nine trestles as a refashioned memorial to honor the thousands of Black soldiers who helped build the first road link between Alaska and Canada during World War II. The state is offering the remaining seven trestles for free to states, local governments, or private entities who will maintain them for their historical features and public use.

Why it matters

The Black soldiers who worked in extreme conditions to help construct the Alaska Highway faced segregation and discrimination, but their efforts are credited with helping to integrate the U.S. Army. Preserving part of the bridge named in their honor recognizes their important contribution to this historic infrastructure project.

The details

The 1,885-foot Black Veterans Memorial Bridge, which spans the Gerstle River, will be replaced with a new Gerstle River Bridge. The state will keep the first two trestles on either end of the old bridge to retain the memorial name, while the other seven trestles will be given away for free to entities that will maintain them. The new bridge will be built parallel to the old one, about 50 feet away.

  • The Black Veterans Memorial Bridge was renamed in 1993.
  • The temporary bridge built by Black soldiers over the Gerstle River was completed in 1942.
  • The steel structure of the current bridge was finished in 1944.
  • The new Gerstle River Bridge is scheduled to open in 2031.

The players

Black Soldiers

Thousands of segregated Black soldiers performed the backbreaking work of transforming the rugged Alaskan wilderness to help build the first road link between Alaska and the Lower 48 during World War II.

Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities

The state agency that is overseeing the replacement of the Black Veterans Memorial Bridge and the preservation of two trestles as a memorial.

Mary Leith

A former mayor of Delta Junction and member of the local historical society who wants the state to have proper signage and a highway pullout area near the historic bridge.

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What they’re saying

“I would hope that if they're going to save it, then they save it properly.”

— Mary Leith, Former Delta Junction mayor and historical society member

What’s next

The state of Alaska is accepting proposals until March 6 for the seven trestles that will not be part of the memorial, and will consider offers from states, local governments, and private entities to take and maintain the historical structures.

The takeaway

The preservation of part of the Black Veterans Memorial Bridge is an important recognition of the critical role played by segregated Black soldiers in building the Alaska Highway, a historic infrastructure project that helped integrate the U.S. Army and pave the way for greater racial equality in the military.