The Douglas Bridge (also colloquially known as the J. D. Bridge or simply "the bridge") is located in

Juneau, Alaska Juneau ( ; ), officially the City and Borough of Juneau, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Alaska, located along the Gastineau Channel and the Southeast Alaska, Alaskan panhandle. Juneau was named the ...

, United States. Spanning the

Gastineau Channel Gastineau Channel ( Lingít: ''Séet Ká'') is a channel between the mainland of the U.S. state of Alaska and Douglas Island in the Alexander Archipelago of southeastern Alaska. It separates Juneau on the mainland side from Douglas (now part ...

, it connects Juneau's eastern, mainland side with the city's communities on Douglas Island to the west. The current span is the second bridge of the same name; the original, built in 1935, was demolished in 1981 following the completion of its replacement in 1980. The bridge is the only roadway link to the communities on Douglas Island: Douglas, North Douglas and West Juneau, the latter of which is situated at the bridge's western terminus. Egan Drive, Juneau's principal arterial highway, and the bridge are connected at the intersection of Egan and 10th Street, one of the busiest intersections in

Southeast Alaska Southeast Alaska, often abbreviated to southeast or southeastern, and sometimes called the Alaska(n) panhandle, is the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Alaska, bordered to the east and north by the northern half of the Canadian provi ...

. The current bridge provides a two lane road which accommodates vehicular and pedestrian traffic, as well as a bike path.

History

Though strong currents occur at times under the bridge, prior to construction of the original bridge, residents of Douglas Island would row across the channel to reach the mainland. The 1935 bridge, of

cantilever A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is unsupported at one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a cantilev ...

steel

truss A truss is an assembly of ''members'' such as Beam (structure), beams, connected by ''nodes'', that creates a rigid structure. In engineering, a truss is a structure that "consists of two-force members only, where the members are organized so ...

design, underwent construction from both sides of the channel. The

Civil Works Administration The Civil Works Administration (CWA) was a short-lived job creation program established by the New Deal during the Great Depression in the United States in order to rapidly create mostly manual-labor jobs for millions of unemployed workers. The j ...

and the

Public Works Administration The Public Works Administration (PWA), part of the New Deal of 1933, was a large-scale public works construction agency in the United States headed by United States Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes. It was ...

provided grants and loans to assist with construction costs. Its opening was celebrated on October 13, 1935. In 1975, construction began on a new

girder bridge A girder bridge is a bridge that uses girders as the means of supporting its deck. The two most common types of modern steel girder bridges are plate and box. The term "girder" is often used interchangeably with "beam" in reference to bridge d ...

and it was completed in 1980. The following year, the old bridge was demolished. For a time, the two bridges stood side by side. A 2006

Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (Alaska DOT&PF) is a department within the government of Alaska. Its headquarters are in Alaska's capital city, Juneau. The mission of Alaska DOT&PF is to "''Keep Alaska Moving through ...

project included some bridge joint and pavement improvements, as well as a recommendation to add a reversible center lane. Seeking a solution to relieve traffic on the existing bridge, the CBJ has identified a need for a North Douglas Crossing of the channel as a top transportation priority for Juneau.

Structure

The deck of the newer bridge was constructed using

prestressed concrete Prestressed concrete is a form of concrete used in construction. It is substantially prestressed (Compression (physics), compressed) during production, in a manner that strengthens it against tensile forces which will exist when in service. Post-t ...

. It measures in width, and has a span of .

Waterway

At zero tide, the Douglas Bridge is above the waterline. A spring Dolly Varden fishery is situated directly beneath the bridge. The bridge forms a "no wake zone" on its north side.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Juneau-Douglas Bridge 1935 establishments in Alaska 1980 establishments in Alaska Bridges completed in 1935 Bridges completed in 1980 1935 in transport 1980 in transport Transportation buildings and structures in Juneau, Alaska Road bridges in Alaska Steel bridges in the United States Girder bridges in the United States