A construction crew working on a bridge project in Denali National Park, Alaska, was allegedly instructed to stop flying American flags from their trucks and equipment by the park’s superintendent, Brooke Merrell. The directive has sparked concerns about the appropriateness of the order and questions regarding the reasoning behind it.
Granite Construction, the company hired by the Federal Highway Administration for the $207 million project to build a bridge after a portion of the road was destroyed by a rockslide in 2021, reportedly received the order from Merrell to remove the American flags they had been flying from two trucks and a piece of heavy equipment.
According to an anonymous contractor who spoke to Alaska Watchman, Merrell informed the crew leader that complaints had been received about the flags, and their display was deemed to detract from the “park experience.”
“The trucks are flying these American flags, about a foot atop the trucks, about three-foot by four-foot flags, and they said they don’t want this,” the contractor explained. “They’re saying it isn’t conducive and it doesn’t fit the park experience.”
The contractor expressed bewilderment at the directive, stating, “I understand there are rules for contractors working in the national parks, but you wouldn’t think flying the American flag would be part of those rules.”
The contractor further explained that the flags had been flown from two trucks and one piece of equipment since work began in 2023, and no issues were raised until tour buses began operating nearby.
The anonymous contractor pointed to Merrell’s background and past employment, suggesting that her perceived liberal leanings may have influenced the decision to remove the American flags from the construction site.
“When these liberals get in charge of these parks, that’s how it is,” the contractor stated, implying a potential political or ideological motivation behind the directive.
Merrell, who moved to Alaska in 2009 and has a background in transportation planning and environmental coordination, previously worked for the city of Portland and has been involved with left-wing environmental and social justice groups, according to the Alaska Watchman report.
The incident has sparked debates about the appropriateness of such directives and the potential implications of limiting the display of national symbols in public spaces.