ngineering firm proHNS has submitted a proposal for the engineering of roads damaged by the December natural disaster, a first step toward permanent road repairs.
In early December, record-setting rainfall contributed to a deadly landslide on Beach Road, which killed two people and destroyed several houses. The rains also resulted in widespread flooding throughout the Haines townsite, damaging a number of borough roads including Cathedral View Drive, Piedad Road, Young Road, Anway Road, Moose Lane, Sunshine Street, Chestnut Drive, Chilkoot Loop, Soap Suds Alley and Porcupine Trail.
The ProHNS proposal, with an estimated $600,000 price tag, will go before the assembly for consideration at a meeting on May 11. The project was advertised for three weeks, but ProHNS is the only company that submitted a proposal, according to borough public facilities director Ed Coffland.
The borough is currently negotiating an expanded scope of work.
“We’re trying to add Beach Road, and we’re trying to get Second Avenue worked on as well. There’s some fairly significant damage that has appeared since the big rains that needs to be addressed,” Coffland said.
If the assembly approves the contract, the next step in road repairs will be the engineering work, which will give the borough a better understanding of the scope and cost of the project, followed by a bid process for awarding construction contracts. Coffland said due to the time involved in these steps, construction likely won’t begin until 2022.
In the meantime, Coffland said the borough’s public facilities department will work to keep the roads in drivable condition by addressing surface and drainage needs.
Costs associated with construction, engineering and temporary repairs will be covered by federal and state disaster public assistance programs.
The state is also working to repair roads that were damaged during the natural disaster. State-owned roads with damage include Haines Highway, Lutak Road, Piedad Road, Comstock Road, Allen Road, Menaker Road, Front Street, Beach Road, Mud Bay Road, Sawmill Road and Mosquito Lake Road.
“Our crew performed initial emergency cleanup work right after last December’s storm. After that, winter weather prevented additional cleanup work. Further identification of damage, and additional cleanup and repairs are expected this spring, summer, and fall. Some repairs will require longer timelines to plan and construct,” Alaska Department of Transportation spokesperson Sam Dapcevich said.
Funding for state road repairs will come from Federal Emergency Management Agency and Federal Highway Administration dollars.