Alaska reaps benefits of corp's contracts: statewide projects keep builders hopping.

• Author: West, Gail
• Position: CONSTRUCTION

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Building Alaska takes partners from all realms--private, state and federal, and the primary federal partner in the construction industry is the Alaska District Corps of Engineers.

According to Mike Redmond, acting chief of the Construction Operations Division for the Corps, the 2008 construction season promises to be one of their busiest. Topping $550 million in projects--that's actual funding being disbursed to contractors this year, he said--the Corps has projects going on all across the state. Add to that money from ongoing projects that have carried over from previous years, and Redmond said the Corps actually has about $700 million to $800 million in work on projects in different phases this year.

"This year and next, we anticipate spending another $550 million on projects, which are record years for us," Redmond said.

CIVIL WORKS

Of the total construction budget, approximately $50 million is set to go into civil works projects.

"About $20 million of that goes to our typical operations and maintenance work," Redmond said. "Dredging the Anchorage harbor and four other harbors, replacing sheet piles, repairing coastal erosion problems in Shishmaref."

The contract in Shishmaref, Redmond said, was the first in the Alaska Coastal Erosion Program, funded by Congress, and was awarded in June 2007 to Arrigah JV, an Anchorage company, for $6.8 million for rock revetment work at Shishmaref.

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Under the same program, the Corps will address coastal erosion problems in Kivalina this summer. With a recently awarded $4 million contract to Brice Inc. of Fairbanks, 400 lineal feet of rock revetment will be built. This contract, which includes an option for construction of another 1,600 lineal feet on the ocean side of the community--if funding is made available--will help protect Kivalina while it plans its relocation. Total cost for the two phases is estimated at $26 million to $30 million, according to Redmond.

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Dredging for Anchorage is in the Corps' plan of work every year, Redmond added. This year, the contract for $30 million has gone to Dutra Dredging of California, and dredging should be complete in November 2009.

"We're doing some new harbor construction work in False Pass under contract to Kelly-Ryan Inc. of Seattle," Redmond said, "and we've contracted with MKB Constructors of Seattle to replace sheet pile in Nome. That's a $9.3 million contract and the work is scheduled for completion in December of this year."

An ongoing civil works responsibility for the Corps is the Chena River flood-control project in Fairbanks. After the 1967 Fairbanks' flood, Congress authorized funds to prevent future flooding. Now, a levee extends 21 miles along the Tanana River between Moose Creek Dam and Fairbanks. Every year, the Corps undertakes...