Alaska offers rural bridge, with $30,000 reward

Alaska Department of Transportation photo

A rural remote Alaskan bridge is yours for the taking, along with a cash reward of $30,000. It's common for states to offer replaced bridges for relocation, but this is the first time we've heard of a reward. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities is offering the money "to anyone who will remove and maintain the historic bridge before construction on a new structure begins in 2018," Laurel Andrews reports for Alaska Dispatch News. The bridge has not been used since 2003.

The 181-foot-long, steel-truss bridge spans the Iliamna River and is located about three miles from Pile Bay, a fishing community, Andrews writes. The bridge was built in the 1930s—some reports say 1934, others 1936. "In 2003, DOT set up a temporary bridge next to the old one. But in a few years, the state plans to replace it with a structure that has a greater weight capacity, to accommodate the freight and fishing vessels. The total cost for construction will be about $5 million, 90 percent of which is federal funding, said DOT spokesman Jeremy Woodrow."

Dispatch News graphic

DOT, which in 2003 found the bridge to be structurally deficient, said in a public notice: "Any potential recipient will need to remove the bridge and transport it to a new location and must agree to maintain the bridge. The bridge is in a remote location and is available as-is."