Parks Highway closure on Wed. May 17 for Air Force training exercise

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) - The Parks Highway will be closed on Wednesday, May 17 for approximately four hours for a military training exercise by the U.S. Air Force, weather permitting.

The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) in conjunction with the Alaska State Troopers (AST) will close a four-mile section of the Parks Highway in both directions between mileposts 198 and 201 from 9 a.m. to 1 pm.

The training exercise is part of Arctic Edge 2023 and will take place in the Broad Pass area.

A C-146 Wolfhound aircraft will land on a stretch of the Parks Highway as part of the military’s Arctic Edge 2023 training exercise. “They’re [going to be] landing on the Parks Highway at about milepost 199,” said John Perreault, a public information officer with the DOT.

According to a DOT&PF press release, “This is an “Arctic-focused training effort supporting joint force readiness and development, tactical and operational extreme cold weather tactics, techniques, procedures refinement, and Arctic testing and experimentation.”

The DOT booked a four hour window for the closure because the Air Force believes that is more than enough time for the exercise. While the DOT and Air Force think the exercise will conclude before 1 p.m., the DOT “will open the highway just as soon as we can safely do that,” Perreault said.

If weather does not allow for a safe operating ceiling, the exercise will be moved to Thursday, May 18.

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