A historic bridge in Alaska named for segregated Black soldiers who battled extreme weather and terrain to help build the first road link between Alaska and Canada needs to replaced.
$14 million worth of robotic arms stolen from St. Vincent’s Hospital, arrest report for accused orchestrator revealsSan Jose Boulevard crashRead full article: All lanes closed on San Jose Boulevard after crash, 1 person seriously injured Pastor Korey O'Neal leads prayer during vigil at Friendship Fountain following 'teen takeover' events.
‘A conversation needs to be had’: Community members come together in the wake of ‘teen takeover’ events in Jacksonville Read full article: ‘A conversation needs to be had’: Community members come together in the wake of ‘teen takeover’ events in JacksonvilleIs your JEA bill higher than usual? The cold snap is likely to blameOne factor fueling St. Johns County's budget for the 2026 fiscal year is the need to keep the county's fire rescue services out of the red. | Noah Hertz, Jacksonville TodayFILE - This Oct. 25, 1942, photo provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Office of History, shows Corporal Refines Slims, Jr., left, and Private Alfred Jalufka shaking hands at the,"Meeting of Bulldozers," for the ALCAN Highway in the Yukon Territory in Beaver Creek, Alaska. This undated photo provided by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities shows a trestle bridge, that the state of Alaska is planning to replace, spanning the Gerstle River about 30 miles southeast of Delta Junction. FILE - In this 1942 photo provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Office of History, a Black soldier peers through a surveyor's transit during construction of the Alaska Highway in the Northern Sector of Alaska. FILE - In this 1942 photo provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Office of History, a Black soldier places dynamite during construction of the Alaska Highway in the Northern Sector of Alaska. FILE - This Oct. 25, 1942, photo provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Office of History, shows Corporal Refines Slims, Jr., left, and Private Alfred Jalufka shaking hands at the,"Meeting of Bulldozers," for the ALCAN Highway in the Yukon Territory in Beaver Creek, Alaska. – Thousands of Black soldiers performed the backbreaking work of transforming rough-hewn wilderness in extreme weather swings during World War II to help build the first road link between Alaska and the Lower 48. The work of the segregated Black soldiers is credited with bringing changes to military discrimination policies. The state of Alaska honored them by naming a bridge for them near the end point of the famed Alaska Highway.Now, eight decades later, the aging bridge needs to be replaced. Instead of tearing it down, the state of Alaska intends to keep two of the bridge’s nine trestles in place as a refashioned memorial. The others will be given away.The state of Alaska will replace the 1,885-foot bridge that spans the Gerstle River near Delta Junction, the end point of the Alaska Highway about 100 miles south of Fairbanks. Seven of the bridge’s trestles are being offered for free to states, local governments or private entities who will maintain them for their historical features and public use.These two sections, the first trestles on either end, will retain the name of the memorial bridge. The new Gerstle River Bridge will unofficially carry the memorial name unless the Legislature also makes it official. The old bridge will remain in place until the new one opens in 2031.Mary Leith, a former Delta Junction mayor and member of the historical society, said she’s pleased some of the history will be saved, but she wants the state to have proper signage and a highway pullout area near the historic bridge to allow people to walk on it.The Black Veterans Memorial Bridge sign will remain and the two sections will be visible from the new bridge, but both will be blocked off to prevent people from climbing or vandalizing them, said Angelica Stabs, a spokesperson for the state transportation department. No pullout is planned. The new bridge will parallel the existing bridge to the east, leaving about 50 feet of space between it and the old bridge's location, Stab said.The project to build a supply route between Alaska and Canada used 11,000 troops from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers divided by race, working under a backdrop of segregation and discrimination. Besides transforming the rugged terrain, the soldiers had to deal with mosquitoes, boggy land, permafrost and temperatures ranging from 90 degrees F to minus 70 F . “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. Moreover, since black troops were not typically permitted to use heavy machinery, they made do with picks, shovels, and axes. In addition, they were prohibited from entering towns and were confined to wilderness assignments,” according to a historical account by the National Park Service. It took Black soldiers working from the north just over eight months to meet up with white soldiers coming from the south to connect the 1,500-mile gravel road, then called the Alcan Highway, from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, to Delta Junction Oct. 25, 1942. “In light of their impressive performance, many of the black soldiers who worked on the Alcan were subsequently decorated and sometimes deployed in combat. Indeed, the U.S. Army eventually became the first government agency to integrate in 1948, a move that is largely credited in part to the laudable work of the soldiers who built the Alcan,” the National Park Service says.Alaska was still a territory, and officials long wanted such a road to the Lower 48. However, battles over routes and its necessity led to delays.Black soldiers working near Delta Junction built a temporary bridge over the Gerstle River in 1942. Contractors finished the steel structure two years later.The Alaska transportation department is accepting proposals until March 6 for the seven trestles, but you don't have to take them all. The state will consider all proposals, even those seeking one or two trestles for uses such as a walkway over a creek in a public park. Winners will have to abide by certain restrictions including not allowing vehicular traffic, paying for removal, transportation and lead abatement, and maintaining the features that make the bridge historically significant. Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.From coffee-table classics to ‘Bold’: New Jacksonville magazine honors Black legacy media19-year-old charged in Magnolia Gardens shooting that injured 4, including Raines High studentVoices of the 904: Live from LaVilla edition - A conversation on Black history and cultureConfidence grows for coaches as the bill for better pay picks up steam in Florida.It's feeling like spring. It's time to start some seeds and grow some tasty greens for spring.Community mourns death of student killed in St. Johns County crashWorking in the garden to get ready for Spring
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