After being closed for a few years due to safety concerns, the City and Borough of Juneau recently reopened a portion of the Kaxdigoowu Heen Dei, or Brotherhood Bridge Trail, following the completion of a new pedestrian bridge over Montana Creek.
The new bridge reconnected the Glacier Highway access of the southern portion of the 2.8-mile-long trail with the longer northern portion of the trail at River Road, which had been closed to allow heavy equipment to access the bridge site. That portion of the trail has been repaved after heavy machinery completed the work.
Culverts were also installed and rock armoring placed along the Montana Creek streambanks to increase the expected life of the bridge.
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities secured the funding, managed the bridge project and partnered with the city. Work began April 17 on the project.
The new pedestrian bridge over Montana Creek is a state-managed project on City and Borough of Juneau property. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire)
Sunshine illuminated the new bridge on Monday morning as Maple the dog stretched her leash ahead of Kerry Lear and Stephanie Allison.
“We used to do the loop all the time,” said Lear, who lives on the other side of the Mendenhall River. The existing footbridge near Thunder Mountain Middle School has been a substitute access for hikers to cross the river, but the closed bridge prevented circular routing.
“I’ve really been missing it,” Lear said of the full loop. His typical walks were 90 minutes.
Allison and Lear’s one-year-old dog is too young to remember those longer full-loop walks. Construction on the bridge began in April of 2024.
• Contact Laurie Craig at laurie.craig@juneauempire.com.
