Winter construction round-up: contractors busy around the state.

• Author: Harrington, Susan
• Position: SPECIAL SECTION: Building Alaska

Here's a sampling of construction projects around Alaska from Ketchikan to Deadhorse and back to Anchorage. Some were recently started or completed and many are ongoing.

Ketchikan

The $4.1 million Ketchikan North Tongass Highway Illumination Upgrades project will provide five miles of highway lighting in Ketchikan. The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities project started in October. This Highway Safety Improvement Project designed by Stantec will install 105 LED highway lights along five miles of the North Tongass Highway. A major challenge to be overcome is the placement of light pole foundations where bedrock is shallow and prevalent. Swanson General Contractors is handling the installation, which is scheduled for completion in August 2017.

Dutch Harbor

Turnagain Marine Construction in November was completing the Light Cargo Dock Expansion in Dutch Harbor for the City of Unalaska. The $2.55 million project, started in August, consisted of a new dock utilizing an open cell design by PND Engineers. The new dock created roughly 300 feet of usable dock space. There were roughly 5,500 cubic yards of back fill and approximately 600 cubic yards of concrete poured.

Pilot Station

In October, Brice Incorporated, a subsidiary of Calista Corporation, completed the Pilot Station Power and Bulk Fuel Upgrades project for Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, City of Pilot Station, and Pilot Station Corporation. The project, started in July, consisted of the construction of three new gravel pads for AVEC, City, and Corporation tank farms to be installed.

In August, Brice began work on the Pilot Station Airport Relocation for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. Construction of a brand new 4,600-foot runway, including 2.7 miles of access road to reach the airport's new location, is slated for completion in November 2017.

St. George

In the Pribilof Islands, Brice completed St. George Harbor Breakwater Repair for the City of St. George. The project repaired an approximately 250-foot section of breakwater damaged in December of 2015 with 4,800 tons of armor rock. The project was started August 1 and was completed September 4.

St. Paul

In August, Kiewit completed the $19.1 million St. Paul Breakwater Repair and Maintenance Dredging project for the US Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps was the designer on the project that including deconstruction and reconstruction of detached breakwater, extensive barging operations, and dredging of 100,000 cubic yards of material from three different locations in the small boat harbor at St. Paul. The dredging material removed from the project footprint was disposed of upland.

Due to the remoteness of the project, materials and equipment had to be barged to St. Paul Island including mobilization and demobilization from Seattle, transport of 13,800 tons of armor stone from Anacortes, Washington, and 14,000 tons of armor stone and scour rock from Kodiak. Kiewit started the project May 20 and coordinated daily with fishing boats coming in and out of the harbor to ensure impacts were minimal. In addition, St. Paul is home to the largest population of northern fur seal, and Kiewit employed two marine mammal monitors during all daylight hours of in-water work throughout the project and instructed truckers to watch carefully for seals as they would regularly appear on the roads in town.

Kwethluk

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