Arctic Geospatial Data for Cold Region Transportation Infrastructure Analysis: High-Resolution LiDAR Point Clouds along the Steese Highway, Alaska, January 2024-Site_1

Remote sensing makes it possible to gather data rapidly, accurately, and non-destructively, allowing for access to remote areas in near real-time. LiDAR sensor data were collected on previous test sites that were tested during the summer 2023 field study exercise on Alaska's Steese Highway, as part of continued efforts to provide more geospatial data in Arctic regions relevant to cold region research. The Steese Highway is a major highway connecting the city of Fairbanks, Alaska, to the small town of Circle, Alaska, near the Yukon River. The Steese Highway spans approximately 261 kilometers and is the only means of transportation for goods and supplies to the remote towns of both Central and Circle Alaska. The survey was conducted in January 2024 as a companion comparative dataset to the summer 2023 LiDAR dataset. The corresponding point cloud data shows evidence of road degradation and snow accumulation.