15 Sep 2025

Standard Operating Procedures for the Design, Maintenance, and Operation of Freshwater Ice Bridges

Abstract: Operations in cold regions inevitably require maneuvering across, through, or atop frozen surfaces. Ice bridges are special components of winter linear infrastructure that can have significant impacts on mission targets. Proper siting, design, monitoring, and operation of ice bridges reduces potential environmental impacts and decreases risks to personnel and equipment. The US Army operates multiple ice bridge crossings on training lands in Alaska and collaborates with other countries in training events that use them. They are a likely means of travel for potential operations in cold regions. However, the US Army lacks up to date guidance on the design, maintenance, and operation of ice bridges. This report addresses this need by providing a set of standard operating procedures that have been developed from a broad synthesis of ice bridge usage in northern regions. In addition, it reviews all relevant historic and current literature regarding ice bridges, describes risk assessment and mitigation techniques for ice bridge operations, discusses specific considerations for US Army training areas in Alaska, and briefly describes important ramifications of changing weather conditions and increasing uncertainty as they relate to ice bridge life span.