MACS Transit opens bus stops along Aurora Drive while Noyes Slough bridge remains closed

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) - The Fairbanks North Star Borough has announced a change to the operation of buses in the Aurora neighborhood.

Starting Monday, October 30, the MACS Transit system is operating a series of stops along Aurora Drive, replacing the single stop on Marika Road that has been available since the Noyes Slough Bridge closed for replacement in March.

Now, the Red and Blue lines will be running most of the length of the road, stopping at Bridgewater Drive, Carr Drive, Southern Avenue and Marika Road.

The Blue Line will pick up passengers on the east side of the road, with the Red Line doing pickups on the west side.

This development comes about as the bridge replacement project is taking longer than expected.

According to Michelle Denton, Director of Transportation for the borough, “With the extension of the Noyes Bridge Slough project through this winter, we wanted to do what we could to help restore bus service to the Aurora neighborhood, and so we worked with the city, and with DOT, and they made it possible for us to turn our bus around at the end of the drive there. I would just ask for a little extra patience since we have to double back and come back out the way that we came, so our schedules should be as normal as possible, but if there’s extra snow or weather events, just give us a few extra minutes please.”

According to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, the bridge is now scheduled to reopen in late summer 2024

MACS Transit says the bus lines are planned to open up for full service in the area this coming summer.

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