Department of Transportation maintenance facility reopens in Central, Alaska

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) - The Steese Highway northeast of Fairbanks is expected to see faster repairs after the reopening of a maintenance station in the community of Central.

The facility serves the Steese Highway from Eagle Summit up to Circle on the Yukon River. It was one of five around the state to be closed in 2016 due to budget cuts.

With funds returning, the facility was the last to be reopened on October 10, with roadwork supplies returned to the building in time for winter.

According to the Alaska Department of Transportation (DOT), the return of this station will mean a better response time when road damage or obstruction is reported.

Kaitlin Williams, Publications Specialist with the DOT, said that during the closure, “We were still able to maintain the roads that those stations traditionally maintained. However, the response time might not have been as fast. Those stations also stock a lot of materials that we use, so where they’re at in our road system plays an important role of how quickly we can respond to weather events or just road maintenance in general, potholes.”

The other maintenance stations that have reopened include Birch Lake, Chitina, O’Brien Creek, and Thompson Pass.

Copyright 2022 KTVF. All rights reserved.