Infrastructure

Federal money would cover 96% of Wasilla's $20 million runway extension, staff says

Wasilla's runway extension would cost the city about 4% of $20 million, staff says. First come the surveys that have to wait for leaves on the trees.

by Walter AlaskaNews4w ago3 min read

Merrill Field planners propose King Air 200 as design aircraft for 20-year plan

Merrill Field's 20-year plan will be built around the King Air 200. Also learned: the first stop for many rural flyers landing there is Costco.

by Walter AlaskaNews4w ago2 min read

Follows: Anchorage will take public comment on Merrill Field's next 20 years Oct. 15

Anchorage Assembly to consider $1.2 million for two fire tenders replacing aging trucks

Two Anchorage fire tenders are past the 25-year mark. The Assembly considers $1.2 million for replacements Tuesday, with delivery about 20 months out.

by Walter AlaskaNews4w ago2 min read

Anchorage weighs Eklutna water deals after utilities decline to back its bid for a vote

Anchorage tied its Eklutna water deals to Chugach and MEA backing its bid for a hydro vote. They declined, and the mayor wants the deals approved without it.

by Walter AlaskaNews4w ago2 min read

State gives DOT Matanuska riverbed to armor the Old Glenn near Palmer

The Matanuska keeps eating the bank along the Old Glenn near Palmer, so the state gave DOT 65 acres of river bottom to fight back with rock. Indefinitely.

by Walter AlaskaNews4w ago2 min read

Juneau weighs Kensington mine rock and charter use for North Douglas ramp

Juneau may study building a bigger North Douglas boat launch from Kensington mine waste rock, and ask whether charter boats and tour buses should use it.

by Walter AlaskaNews4w ago2 min read

North Slope Assembly backs next step for roads linking three Slope communities

The North Slope Assembly backed moving roads to link Utqiaġvik, Atqasuk and Wainwright toward review. The mayor wants them paid for alongside an oil-area road.

by Bill AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min read

After ending builder's contract, Mat-Su weighs $573,155 to finish Academy Charter design

Mat-Su terminated the contractor on Academy Charter's new high school in August. Now it wants to pay the designer $573,155 to finish the job's plans.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Kodiak Electric's 20-year Coast Guard energy contract is worth $31.3 million

Kodiak's electric co-op will upgrade the Coast Guard base's heat, lights and water over 20 years. Price tag: $31.3 million. Competition: none possible.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Follows: Kodiak Electric signs 20-year contract to upgrade energy systems at Coast Guard Base Kodiak

Petro Marine seeks state water quality sign-off to rebuild its Ketchikan fuel dock

Ketchikan's only fuel supplier, by its own account, wants to rebuild its aging Tongass Narrows dock. First it needs DEC to sign off on water quality.

by Walter AlaskaNews4w ago2 min readFrom Oct 7

Mat-Su Assembly weighs $2.5 million grant to refrigerate the ice at Big Lake rink

Mat-Su Assembly holds a hearing Oct. 20 on accepting $2.5 million to refrigerate Big Lake Lions rink's ice. A week of 45 degree weather can melt the natural ice now, pushing teams elsewhere.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Kenai accepts $3.1 million FAA grant for new airport perimeter and security fence

Kenai City Council accepted a roughly $3.1 million FAA grant for a new perimeter and security fence at the airport. The city covers about $154,000, with QAP as contractor.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readFrom Oct 8

Mat-Su Borough asks state for 210 acres near Sutton for a shooting range

People already shoot at the old Jonesville coal mine near Sutton. The Mat-Su Borough wants to make it official, with a $7.5 million shooting range.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readFrom Sep 29

Follows: DNR proposes requiring permits for most shooting in the Matanuska Valley Moose Range

State seeks bids to expand the Upper Stiles Creek shooting range near Fairbanks

A busy public gun range near Fairbanks has no berms behind its targets. The state is taking bids to build some, paid mostly by taxes on guns and ammo.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readFrom Sep 22

Wasilla adopts airport plan that charts a path to a 6,000-foot runway

Wasilla adopted a 20-year airport plan that points toward a runway more than half again as long. Nobody testified, and nobody on the council objected.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min read

Follows: Wasilla sets Oct. 12 hearing on airport master plan that recommends higher lease rates

State expects seismic retrofit of Tanana River Bridge at Big Delta to start in mid-October

Alaska is the most seismically active state, and DOT says earthquake work on the Big Delta bridge starts this month. Seven more bridges are in line.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Kenai will seek up to $250,000 in federal money to replace Old Town Park's playground

Kenai wants up to $250,000 in federal money for a new Old Town Park playground. The catch: grant-funded park land has to stay a park, more or less forever.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Corps seeks state water quality OK for $402 million Homer harbor to end five-deep rafting

Homer's boats tie up as many as five deep. The Corps wants a $402 million fix, Homer would owe about $170 million, and the math says 77 cents back per dollar.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min readFrom Sep 24

Montana Creek, Peterson Lake among four Juneau trails up for federal grant money

Montana Creek, Peterson Lake, Eagle Beach and a new Gold Creek crossing are on Juneau's trail wish list. If the state says yes, federal money covers up to 90%.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readFrom Sep 30

St. Paul seeks trail grant to replace staircases and resurface the Sledding Hill

St. Paul is applying for a state trail grant to replace stairs, improve gravel paths, and resurface Sledding Hill, with public comment due October 23.

by Melinda Communities.News1mo ago1 min read

Kodiak parks board to weigh three first projects from new master plan

Kodiak Parks and Recreation will discuss three potential first projects from the city's new master plan at a Tuesday board meeting, focusing resources on one rather than spreading them thin.

by Alaska News1mo ago1 min read

Wasilla airport commission backs buying at least 11 parcels for longer runway

Wasilla's airport commission backed buying at least 11 parcels for a longer runway. Planes leave heavier than they arrive, thanks partly to local shopping.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

State takes comments through Oct. 29 on water quality review of AIDEA's West Susitna road

The state is taking comments through Oct. 29 on whether AIDEA's 78.5-mile West Susitna road meets water quality rules. The Corps' own window closes Tuesday.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

State puts emergency erosion work on Talkeetna's only highway out to bid

The Susitna River has been chewing at the bank near the only highway into Talkeetna. The state wants erosion protection in place there by Dec. 15.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readFrom Oct 2

Dyea Flats Road near Skagway faces two full closures for culvert work

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park will close Dyea Flats Road near Skagway twice between October and November to replace two culverts that reduce flood risk.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

White House restates $150 million for Beluga-Healy line; source of $268 million share unclear

The White House says DOE "will invest $150 million" in the Beluga-Healy line; DOE said "up to." Who covers the other $268 million is still unclear.

by Melinda Communities.News1mo ago1 min read

Kenai awards $98,000 contract to move shallow water line on eroding bluff

Kenai awarded Peninsula Construction $98,000 to move a water line on the bluff before it freezes and ruptures this winter.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Follows: Kenai's council will award a bluff erosion contract the day after bids close

State to give highway department 200,000 cubic yards from Parks, Alcan pits at no charge

Alaska Department of Natural Resources will give the transportation department 200,000 cubic yards of gravel from two Interior highway pits at no cost.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

State approves easement to rebuild Cordova's failing Eyak Lake weir, built in 1972

Cordova's 1972 Eyak Lake weir is leaking and leaning. The state just cleared the way to rebuild it, with construction slated to start this winter.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Testifiers oppose West Susitna road and bridge in state's draft transportation plan

Two testifiers urged Alaska to drop the West Susitna road from its draft transportation plan, citing cost and opposition, while the transportation commissioner defended it as access to state land.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Sitka's Moller Field parking lot paving moves to Monday, Oct. 12

Sitka's Moller Field parking lot paving slid again, now to Monday, Oct. 12. The main lot closes while crews pave; park at the skate park or Lower Moller.

by Alaska News1mo ago1 min read

Follows: Sitka closes Moller Field's main parking lot for paving Oct. 7-8 and part of Lincoln Street for water line work

Kodiak Electric signs 20-year contract to upgrade energy systems at Coast Guard Base Kodiak

The Coast Guard's Kodiak base signed up the local electric co-op for a 20-year energy upgrade deal, with $2 million to start. Shutdowns already delayed it.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readFrom Sep 30

Anchorage Assembly weighs Girdwood road contract that drew one bid

Western Construction & Equipment, the only bidder, would maintain Girdwood Valley roads for up to nine years under a contract worth as much as $10.8 million.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Kodiak Island Borough Assembly to vote on $4.2 million hospital chiller contracts

Kodiak Island Borough Assembly votes Thursday on four contracts totaling $4.2 million to replace the hospital chiller, with federal funding covering $3.8 million and the borough paying the rest.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Vance announces Railbelt transmission project at Fairbanks rally

The Trump administration will fund up to $150 million toward a 223-mile transmission line on Alaska's Railbelt grid, Vice President JD Vance announced Monday.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Crews at Richardson Highway Chena bridges begin winter shutdown prep

Richardson Highway bridge crews at Milepost 346 are consolidating materials for winter shutdown, with reduced lanes 9 am to 3 pm on the $89.2 million Chena Flood Control bridges project.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Anchorage Assembly takes up Eklutna water deals without RCA condition

Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on three Eklutna Lake water agreements after a condition Assembly members imposed in December became impossible to meet in court.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Anchorage Assembly to take up $388,874 to design Merrill Field gate replacements

Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on $388,874 to design replacements for 36 failing gate operators at Merrill Field, with federal grant covering most of the cost.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Kodiak review board to take up final North Star Elementary roof plans

Kodiak's review board meets Thursday on final plans to replace the roof of the former North Star Elementary School, listed at $4.1 million, with the building, now partly leased for a preschool, staying occupied.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Loring board weighs dock grant options with $60,625 on hand and an $8.5 million cheapest fix

Loring's service area has $60,625 in the bank. The cheapest dock fix engineers priced is $8.5 million. The board meets Friday to talk grants.

by Melinda Communities.News1mo ago1 min read