Many communities in rural Alaska are only accessible by air or by barge, making the transport of both people and goods expensive – an issue well known to the 300 residents of Tanana, Alaska, located 130 miles west of Fairbanks.

But a $13.7 million road project – the first major project of its kind to be built in Alaska within the last 20 years – changed all of that.

Working with its local, state and federal partners, the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities built a major bridge, constructed 20 miles of new road, and upgrading 14 miles of existing road that ultimately reduced freight and travel costs for residents and visitors while improving access to the community for economic development.