The trestle on Basin Road has been closed to vehicle traffic since January, when a mid-winter rockslide caused cosmetic and structural damage. When the city begins repairs next month, the trestle will close to foot traffic, too.
Katie Koester, Juneau’s director of engineering and public works, says the closure — which should last from early May through around mid-June — will disrupt some recreation and tour activities for the start of Juneau’s visitor season.
“It’s a huge inconvenience. Not just for those of us who walk up there on a daily basis, but I know there’s also at least one company that works in that area,” she said.
The trestle is a key access point for the popular Perseverance Trail system. It’s been open to pedestrians since the slide, but that will change when construction begins.
It’s also the only access point for the Last Chance Mining Museum, which typically opens in late May.
The closure will also affect at least one tour company, Alaska Travel Adventures. They run a gold mining and panning excursion in the area. The city’s Department of Parks and Recreation is working with the company to find alternatives during the trestle’s closure.
The trestle, a relic of the AJ Mine, is located in an area that’s prone to both avalanches and landslides. Both have caused temporary closures in recent years.
The state Department of Transportation found that January’s slide caused significant structural damage to the trestle. Stabilizing it to support vehicle traffic is the priority for next month’s repairs, which are expected to cost around $100,000.
“We’re really returning it to the state that it was in before the rock fell,” Koester said. “We’re not doing anything in this repair to further beef up the trestle.”
Hikers who hope to access the Perseverance Trail can still do so via the Flume Trail.
