Anchorage Assembly to vote on $76M Eagle River road deal with sole bidder

The Anchorage Assembly is scheduled to vote this upcoming Tuesday on a road maintenance contract worth up to approximately **$76.1 million** for the Chugiak-Birchwood-Eagle River Rural Road Service Area, with McKenna Brothers Paving the only responsive bidder.

The contract covers roughly 210 miles of paved roads in the Chugiak, Birchwood, and Eagle River areas. McKenna Brothers bid $10,873,990 per year. The initial term runs through April 2029, with two additional two-year options. If both options are exercised and all available funds are spent, the total reaches approximately $76.1 million. The recommendation also includes $1 million in change-order authority.

The contract is funded by property taxes levied within the service area, meaning CBERRRSA residents bear the cost directly. It covers summer and winter maintenance and limited construction, with tasks administered on an as-needed basis through individual purchase orders.

One responsive bid came in. A companion asphalt paving contract for the same area drew two bids when opened June 9. McKenna Brothers bid $574,980 against an engineer's estimate of $700,000. The only other bidder, Alaska Asphalt Services, was deemed non-responsive.

McKenna Brothers is not new to the work. Assembly member Christopher Constant noted at an August 2025 meeting that the maintenance relationship has spanned four administrations. "It tends to be the view of the administration that efficiency, because of the scale of the project, argues there's really no one else qualified," Constant said. "It could almost be sole source."

The Assembly takes up both contracts at its June 23 meeting.