The Haines Borough Planning Commission last week gave Turnagain Marine Construction the go-ahead for the first design phase of the Lutak Dock renovation project, which the company hopes to complete by fall 2024.
A Turnagain engineer and project manager presented a 35% design plan to the commission on Dec. 8, which the commission approved 5-0.
The design will utilize the current Lutak Dock, which engineers have deemed structurally deficient, and construct a new bulkhead wall. The design will retain hundreds of feet of dock space, as well as the Alaska Marine Lines dolphin and roll-on/roll-off barge ramp currently used for transferring freight.
Turnagain predicts a 50-year design life before the dock may need to be replaced.
A few residents questioned whether the borough could afford maintenance for the dock once it’s rebuilt. Public facilities director Ed Coffland said that would be covered by the dock’s enterprise fund, which generates revenue through tariff and tie-up fees. Turnagain is contracted to provide a guaranteed maximum price at the end of their phase one design process.
Turnagain President Jason Davis told the Port and Harbor Advisory Committee this November that the company hopes to finalize design plans by February and complete construction by the fall of 2024.
The planning commision will review Turnagain’s 65% plan on Jan. 12.