Alaska to Preserve Part of Black Veterans Memorial Bridge

State will replace aging span but keep two trestles as tribute to WWII-era Black soldiers who built the Alaska Highway

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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The state of Alaska plans to replace the 1,885-foot Black Veterans Memorial Bridge near Delta Junction, but will preserve two of the bridge's nine trestles as a memorial to the thousands of Black soldiers who performed backbreaking work to build the first road link between Alaska and the Lower 48 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 historical purposes.

Why it matters

The Black soldiers who built the Alaska Highway faced harsh conditions and discrimination, but their efforts helped bring about the integration of the U.S. Army in 1948. Preserving part of the bridge named in their honor recognizes their important role in Alaska's history.

The details

The state will replace the entire bridge, but keep the first two trestles on either end to retain the Black Veterans Memorial Bridge name. The other seven trestles will be given away for free to entities that will maintain them for historical purposes. The new Gerstle River Bridge will be built parallel to the old bridge, about 50 feet away.

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

The players

Black Soldiers

Thousands of segregated Black soldiers performed backbreaking work to build the first road link between Alaska and the Lower 48 during World War II, helping transform the rugged wilderness despite harsh conditions and discrimination.

Gerstle River Bridge

The 1,885-foot bridge near Delta Junction, Alaska that is being replaced, but with two trestles preserved as a memorial to the Black soldiers who built the original temporary bridge in 1942.

Mary Leith

A former mayor of Delta Junction and member of the local historical society who wants the state to properly preserve the memorial with signage and a highway pullout.

Angelica Stabs

A spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Transportation who says the two preserved trestles will be visible from the new bridge but blocked off to prevent access.

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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

“Though conditions were harsh for all, they were nearly unbearable for black soldiers. From the Deep South, most of these soldiers had never encountered anything approaching the severe conditions of the far north.”

— National Park Service (National Park Service)

What’s next

The state of Alaska is accepting proposals until March 6 for entities interested in taking ownership of the seven trestles that will not be part of the memorial.

The takeaway

Preserving part of the Black Veterans Memorial Bridge honors the critical role that segregated Black soldiers played in building the Alaska Highway during World War II, a pivotal moment that helped spur the integration of the U.S. Army just a few years later.