GOLD-RUSH GHOST TOWN GETS A NEW ALASKA YELLOW CEDAR BRIDGE

Abstract

The city of Skagway, Alaska, responding to increasing visitor and tourist traffic, recently decided to improve access to the old abandoned ghost town of Dyea. Dyea is 15 km away over a narrow gravel road that winds around two deep fjords. Since the year-round-flowing Nelson Slough runs through the area, a bridge was needed to provide reliable access to Dyea Flats at all tidal stages. The city of Skagway received a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service for assistance in design and construction of a timber bridge. The grant specified that the bridge must be constructed from untreated Alaska yellow cedar, a naturally decay-resistant wood species, using recently developed stressed-deck technology. The new bridge is simple. strong, aesthetic, and aromatic. The bridge is strong enough to handle any vehicle legally allowed on the road and should serve visitors to this historic area for many years to come.