In 2021, Bettisworth North Architects and Planners, Inc. worked in collaboration with the UAF User Design Committee to envision the space. GHEMM Company, LLC, won the bid through a low lump sum bid contracting method and began construction in June of 2023.

Work is expected to be completed in early August, with close-outs and cleaning to follow.

Wohlford says the $32.5 million project has been on the books for ten years and includes removing and replacing the plumbing infrastructure, redoing the restrooms, and relocating laundry rooms. GHEMM will also do a finish facelift inside each dorm room that includes painting and new floors, as well as new flooring in the corridors.

“As soon as the students moved out, we moved in,” says Nordale. “It’s a tight timeline. Each building is eight floors for a total of sixteen floors, and we’re touching every floor.”

Not surprisingly, there were a number of code upgrades that were not anticipated in the work on the 60-year-old buildings, increasing the cost of the job.

“Unfortunately, the timeline hasn’t changed—we still have to be done when school starts in fall 2024,” says Nordale. “For us, that’s the biggest challenge.”

The GHEMM crew are systematically working their way from the top to the bottom of each building, with builders framing walls on one floor while electricians and plumbers work on another. Sheetrock, ceramic tile, and painting work follow behind.

“It’s like a train moving through each building, and when we come across unexpected conditions we have to fix, it causes hiccups,” says Nordale. “But, at the end of the day, we have to be done because every single dorm room on the campus is full. In fact, UAF brought old dorms back online to accommodate the fact that these two are offline.”

These projects are not the first that GHEMM has completed for UAF. The company worked on the original on-site power plant, built the virology lab on the west ridge of the campus, and built an addition onto the Wood Center. It also renovated the Fine Arts Complex lobby, replaced windows in the library, and built greenhouses and a lab at the Arctic Health Center.

Photo provided by Knik Construction

Aerial view of the future school in Yup’ik village of Napakiak.

Effective Anywhere

ime was of the essence as the Yup’ik village of Napakiak watched the Kuskokwim River inch closer toward engulfing the local school. Despite numerous challenges, including a stop-work order, Ahtna Infrastructure & Technologies, LLC, or AIT, tackled the logistical complexities head-on to complete the first stage of relocating the school: the foundation, pilings, and installation of 50,000-pound fuel tanks.

AIT provided five foundation pads at no cost by repurposing excavated material that would have overwhelmed the landfill. The project was completed ahead of schedule, within budget, and with zero safety incidents.

AIT and its sister subsidiaries have successfully performed more than 1,600 projects worldwide, from the farthest reaches of Alaska’s Aleutian chain to Ghana in Africa.

These skills allow AIT to proactively identify and overcome logistical project obstacles, including those associated with complex compliance, safety, and environmental concerns.

The firm specializes in the execution of time-sensitive, complex, and multifaceted construction, environmental, and professional services for government and commercial clients.

“Our multidisciplinary professional staff includes construction supervisors and craft labor, engineers, project managers, scientists, and various field personnel with decades of remote experience,” says Kropidlowski.

“We are excited to continue to expand our presence both geographically and with new federal customers,” says Kevin Bergt, director of operations. “AIT and the sister companies within the Ahtna Diversified Holdings group are fast becoming nationwide contractors, and AIT’s success has been a large contributing factor to our growth as an organization.”

AIT also uses the benefits of sole-source contracting to provide certainty to both the contractor and the client. “We appreciate the certainty of sole-source contracts; however, the client benefits the most from the certainty and advantages,” explains Finnigan. “The sole-source process means work can be performed sooner, since competitive contracts can take up to a year from the Request for Proposal being issued to the Notice to Proceed and commencement of the work. Moreover, the client knows exactly who will be performing the work, they are comfortable with the contractor’s qualifications, and—most importantly—the client will enjoy certainty in terms of the price they are paying for the work to be performed.”

AIT’s culture of safety permeates every design and construction task the firm performs, as proven by its low 2023 Experience Modification Rating, or EMR, of 0.77, which is well below the industry average of 1.0. The firm’s commitment to world-class safety is also reflected in its Days Away, Restricted, Transfer, or DART Rate statistics for the company’s operations. Additionally, AIT’s Total Recordable Incident Rate also tracks far below the industry average.

In 2023, AIT was the recipient of an Associated General Contractors of Alaska ConocoPhillips Excellence in Safety award, demonstrating the firm’s continued commitment to safe work environments for its staff, subconsultants, vendors, and end users.

“We’ve worked with AIT on two projects,” says Kim Sweet, director of operations for Lower Kuskokwim School District. “The first project, the Napakiak Managed Retreat, involved moving fuel tanks away from a rapidly eroding river and averting a natural disaster that would have impacted peoples’ ability to subsistence fish and to feed their families. The second project, the Kasigluk-Akiuk fire, involved site cleanup after a fire destroyed several outbuildings around the school.”

Sweet adds, “Once on site, AIT was able to pivot to another pressing project, the gym roof repair after it collapsed from snow load. The cleanup was well done, and AIT took the lead on disposal. The gym roof repair is still in process, and the quality of work they are doing is exemplary.”

ith a rich history dating back to the ‘60s, Brice Engineering is an Alaska company that has evolved from a family-owned construction firm to a powerhouse in the engineering and environmental services sector.

Today, Brice Engineering boasts a diverse portfolio of successful projects spanning Alaska, Hawaii, and the Pacific Rim, demonstrating a commitment to excellence and innovation. A subsidiary of Calista Corporation, Brice Engineering stands as a testament to Alaska’s ingenuity and resilience.

“Employees are looking for companies that work with purpose, provide purpose, and do things to help,” says Brice Pacific Regional Director Makenzie Wing. “We’re doing work that is hugely important.”

In recent years, Brice Engineering has spearheaded several high-profile projects that underscore its expertise and dedication to quality. One such project is the Short-Term Fuel Pier Repairs at Eareckson Air Station, or EAS, on Shemya Island, where Brice Engineering swiftly addressed the station’s critical infrastructure needs to maintain operational readiness.

Brice also completed a two-phase project at Shemya, repairing the waste heat loop system, which involved meticulous site preparation, installation of new piping and mechanical components, and careful testing. Despite the island’s remote location—approximately 1,500 miles southwest of Anchorage at the very end of the Aleutian Chain—Brice coordinated personnel and material transport effectively. The repairs addressed leaks in the closed-loop piping system, ensuring uninterrupted heat distribution from the power plant’s engines and generators to onsite buildings.

Brice Engineering also oversees a project at Wake Island Airfield, situated between Hawaii and Guam, which functions as a crucial refueling station for military planes and facilitates Missile Defense Agency testing. The project requires continuous operational support with a fully staffed office, equipment yard, and a 39-person man-camp.

“Brice has solutions with every setback and goes above and beyond to keep the customer happy,” says Scott Kendall, Environmental Engineering Supervisor for US Army Corps of Engineers Alaska District.

Founded in the early ‘60s by Helenka and Luther Liston Brice, Brice Inc. started as a family venture in Fairbanks. Over the years, the company transitioned into the hands of successive generations, with sons Andy and Al Brice assuming leadership roles in 1992. Today, the company is led by Sam Robert Brice, representing the third generation of Brice family leadership. It employs more than 200 staff members, with 77 of those dedicated to Brice Engineering.

In 2010, Brice Inc. was acquired by the Calista Corporation, marking a significant milestone in its journey. Under Calista, Brice Engineering emerged as a key player in the engineering and construction landscape, leveraging its expertise to tackle complex environmental and infrastructure projects.

“Our growth has been exponential,” Wing says. “The Brice family’s willingness to adapt and innovate propelled us to new heights. Today, with the support of Calista, we are further than we ever imagined.”

Eric Sumpter, a senior project manager at Brice Solutions, emphasizes the company’s commitment to excellence.

“Working for Brice is like cutting a diamond: it’s multifaceted,” Sumpter says. “While many companies do the same thing over and over, one of the best things about Brice is we rarely do the same thing twice. Every project is different, and we do them for a multitude of clients. One day we may be working on a demolition project, or an electrical infrastructure improvement project, a remedial excavation project, a remote contaminated site investigation, a pier repair—the list goes on. The types of projects we do are endless, and we do them at some very cool, remote, logistically challenging locations. The team and the culture we have here at Brice is why I show up every day, but the variety of projects we work on is what keeps me excited about construction and environmental work.”

Brice Engineering’s expansion into environmental services has been a game-changer, allowing the company to address emerging issues such as per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, contamination. With patented PFAS soil washing technology, Brice Engineering is at the forefront of environmental remediation efforts, providing innovative solutions to mitigate environmental risks and protect communities across the country.

The treatment and disposal of PFAS contaminated soil stockpiles at Eielson Air Force Base is a recent example of Brice’s expertise in environmental remediation.

The beddown of F-35A fighter planes at Eielson Air Force Base necessitated the construction of numerous facilities and infrastructure over the past four years. Each project involved varying amounts of soil excavation, leading to the accumulation of contaminated soil stockpiles. To address this environmental challenge, the US Air Force developed an approach for the on-base management and treatment of affected soils, enlisting the expertise of Brice Engineering.

Brice Engineering was contracted to characterize and treat 133,000 cubic yards of soil from various stockpiles associated with the F-35A construction projects. Leveraging its PFAS soil washing technology, Brice Engineering embarked on a mission to separate soil fractions and substantially reduce PFAS concentrations, ensuring the environmental integrity of the site.

“We’re not just a construction engineering company trying to make big business dreams come true,” says Wing. “We’re out there making sure that communities have access to clean drinking water.”

The importance of industry collaboration cannot be overstated, Wing says. Brice Engineering recognizes the value of its partnership with the Associated General Contractors, or AGC, of Alaska.

“The events that AGC puts on as an industry allow us to engage with industry and talk about big topics and issues,” says Wing.

AGC’s role in providing a platform for dialogue and collaboration has been instrumental in fostering a culture of excellence within the industry. By offering opportunities for networking, knowledge sharing, and professional development, Wing says AGC empowers companies like Brice Engineering and several other Calista Corporation subsidiaries to stay up to date on industry trends, tackle complex challenges, and drive collective progress. As Brice Engineering continues to thrive in its mission-driven approach, its partnership with AGC serves as a cornerstone for sustained growth and innovation in the engineering and construction sector.

“AGC is providing opportunities for people to engage and working behind the scenes to try to make our lives easier,” says Wing. “As a business, we’ve got to take advantage of these platforms.”

mergency repair projects generally don’t make headlines unless they’re large and part of a natural disaster, such as Typhoon Merbok in 2022 or the 2018 magnitude 7.1 earthquake that shook Southcentral Alaska. However, for every large-scale emergency project, at least a dozen smaller ones are tackled by contractors working with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, or DOT&PF. In the Northern Region, twenty-two emergency projects were completed quickly in 2023 thanks to a statewide provision allowing simplified procurement procedures.

“Maintenance stations are located anywhere from 50 to 100 miles apart on the roadways,” says DOT&PF Northern Region Construction Engineer Mike Lund. “Crews are out on the roads and checking facilities at regular intervals. They know potentially problematic areas since they are familiar with the area.”

Photo provided by Great Northwest, Inc.

DOT&PF has an extensive procurement and contracting process for non-emergency projects, where contractors submit bids for advertised projects. In emergencies, Lund says the process is still formal, though abbreviated. Sole-source procurement for emergency projects requires DOT&PF to fill out a waiver that justifies the reason for forgoing the regular procurement process and outlines the contract terms. Selecting a contractor for emergency repairs depends on the nature of the emergency, nearby contractors working on other DOT&PF projects, and the resources necessary to complete repairs.

Granite is a construction contractor and construction materials producer with locations across the United States, including offices in Anchorage. It provides services throughout Alaska, focusing on heavy civil infrastructure projects that include earthmoving, paving, bridges, and drainage work.

Photo provided by Granite Construction, Inc.

Granite crews mobilized to Glennallen within a few hours of notification. When crews arrived, water was flowing across the highway in several locations. They installed 16-inch dewatering pumps to move the water from one side of the highway to the other so traffic could resume safely.

• Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities, or ADOT&PF, Maintenance crews

• ADOT&PF Maintenance crews

• Granite Construction

• Alaska Demolition

• ADOT&PF Maintenance crews

• ADOT&PF Maintenance crews

• Great Northwest, Inc.
• Heritage Trucking
• Carpenter Contracting, Inc.

• ADOT&PF Maintenance crews

• Brice, Inc.

• ADOT&PF Maintenance crews

• Granite Construction
• ADOT&PF Maintenance crews

• Cruz Construction

• ADOT&PF Maintenance crews

• Hamilton Construction

• Great Northwest, Inc.

• ADOT&PF Maintenance crews

• ADOT&PF Maintenance crews

indicates Associated General Contractors of Alaska member.

“The biggest challenge we had was pumping the water down so we could install the new drainage culverts without causing more erosion to the Glenn Highway,” says Granite Construction Manager Marty Thurman. “Once the water had subsided, the project was pretty straightforward, and we were able to complete it rather quickly.”

The emergency repairs in Glennallen cost $540,000 and included the price of all labor, equipment, and materials needed for the project. Thurman says Granite appreciates its partnership with the Alaska DOT&PF and is always willing to help.

“We were 20 or 30 miles away with people and equipment that we transferred over to complete the emergency repair,” says GNI Project Superintendent Jim Conlon.

Crews worked in a 25-foot-deep excavation to block the headwall of two culverts and pump out the water so they had a dry area to replace the culvert and repair the embankment. Conlon says the situation was most likely due to an aging culvert that failed. The cost of the repairs has not yet been finalized.

Photo provided by Great Northwest, Inc.

In both cases, the emergency repairs were permanent solutions. Lund says if issues weren’t addressed entirely, DOT&PF would likely have further evaluated the problem, designed a solution, and advertised the project as part of the regular procurement process.

Payment for emergency repairs varies depending on whether there is a state or federal government declaration of emergency. Lund adds that this is true of emergency projects in other regions within the state.

irmen and guardians—space and cyberspace enlisted personnel—will soon have a new place to lay their heads at Clear Space Force Station, located in Anderson, about 75 miles southwest of Fairbanks.

Air Force Civil Engineer Center, in partnership with Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center’s Detachment 2 and the US Army Corps of Engineers Alaska District, awarded a $67.6 million contract to UNIT COMPANY to build an eighty-four-room, state-of-the-art dormitory at the base, which serves as a Space Force radar station and provides space surveillance data to the US Space Force.

The 39,500-square-foot, three-story dormitory will include a mixture of one-bedroom and studio apartments, primarily for enlisted personnel, as well as a number of day rooms and multi-use spaces. The building will be built on a reinforced concrete foundation with slab on grade, and it will feature reinforced concrete masonry walls with exterior insulation and finish and a standing-seam metal roof.

The facility will also include an enclosed severe-weather passageway that connects to the main building system.

“It stays cold in Interior Alaska for a really long time; in February, it was -45°F there,” says Captain Charles Bierwirth, project manager for the US Army Corps of Engineers Alaska District. “Everything at Clear is connected by corridors to keep people out of the cold.”

Project Manager Trent Larson says UNIT COMPANY is also creating a new softball field at the base to replace an existing field that is slated for other uses. A second project includes a substation upgrade and redundant primary feeder.

“The scope of that project doesn’t have anything to do with the dormitory; instead, it’s to upgrade base redundancy,” says Larson. “The military always likes to have redundant services in case something stops working so that they are able to maintain operations.”

Anchorage-based Electric Power Systems is in charge of the substation design, and Wasilla-based Electric Power Constructors will build the substation. The overall contract for the dormitory project is $54 million; $12 million is slated for the design and construction of the substation and feeder portion. Construction is expected to be completed in December 2025.

Photo provided by UNIT COMPANY.

“There was a lot of back and forth with Clear Space Force leadership and the designers; this is where the guardians and airmen are going to live, and the finishings and interior design need to ensure that they have pleasant living quarters,” says Bierwirth. “They are permanently stationed here for twelve months on unaccompanied rotation, and this will be their home for those twelve months.”

According to Larson, UNIT COMPANY was able to start civil and foundation work with expedited design packages in 2023 in order to get a head start on the project before the final design was approved.

• MCG Explore Design
• M-W Drilling, Inc.
• Otis Elevator Co.
• Shannon & Wilson, Inc.
• Andy Milner Co., LLC
• University Redi-Mix

The company did run into one hitch: having to relocate a leaking transformer, which required dealing with contaminated soil that delayed construction of the foundation until spring. UNIT COMPANY planned to remobilize in late March when the ground starts thawing, and the contractor expected to start excavating in early April for the foundation and deep under-slab utilities.

“We haven’t encountered any supply problems or logistics issues so far, and we don’t anticipate any because it’s a long enough construction project that we’ve been able to identify longer-lead items earlier on in the project in order to eventually fast-track approval of those items based on design considerations,” says Bierwirth.

Larson says it has also been difficult to find the people they need to complete the job and to find a place to house them.

“This area is stressed for housing,” he says. “And with the amount of work currently happening in Alaska, finding enough qualified people to do the job is difficult. We have had to reach out of state to meet our personnel needs.”

The company also built a $20 million fire station on site as a joint venture with Bethel Federal Services. The US Army Corps of Engineers Alaska District’s most recent project on the base was the construction of the LRDR facility, and the district is currently working on some smaller infrastructure projects and an ambulance bay as part of the medical clinic.

n today’s world, technology is what keeps our world spinning. Arcticom LLC is doing its part keeping Alaska’s communication lines open.

Headquartered in Anchorage, Arcticom was established in 2004 as a supplier of high-end radio communications sales and service in the Alaska region. The following year, the company invested in MOTOTRBO area-wide communication infrastructure, providing private two-way radio service to the Anchorage Bowl and Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

Acquired by Bering Straits Native Corporation, or BSNC, in 2013 as an active subsidiary, Arcticom continues to supply communications and information technology, or IT, support to federal, state, and local governments and commercial clients.

Based in Nome, BSNC was formed in 1972 as the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act’s regional Alaska Native Corporation for the Bering Strait region, encompassing most of the Seward Peninsula and coastal lands of eastern Norton Sound.

Bruce Hellenga joined the BSNC team in 2008 and is currently Arcticom’s general manager.

“Arcticom is the Alaska industry leader in information technology and communications,” says Hellenga. “Two-way radio communications is the platform Arcticom was founded on. Through our technical staff, led by engineer Joey Acosta—who is also one of the founders of Arcticom—we are able to engineer solutions for pretty much any communications and IT problem.”

He adds, “We are the Motorola Federal Manufacturers representative for the State of Alaska and provide support to all federal entities, including the US Department of Defense.”

ALMR is a cooperative effort between Alaska and the US Department of Defense that provides the main communications system used by emergency responders and public safety entities. ALMR consists of eighty-two dedicated wireless radio communication sites along the state’s highways, ferry routes, and remote mountain tops.

“The time and energy spent in working with us to get our mobile and portable radios tuned and programmed will in turn help our firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and rescue members conduct operations with good communications,” says Valdez Fire Department Captain Josh Larsen. “This helps us to serve our community better.”

Arcticom also provides remote communication solutions for areas off the state road system and out of reach of ALMR.

“Arcticom provides Doyon Drilling with all parts of the puzzle right the first time, by not having to return equipment because radios were not programmed correctly,” says Ron White, Doyon Drilling’s company’s operations manager.

“Our biggest challenge is working with partners and manufacturers who don’t understand the challenges of working in Alaska with the weather and geographical hardships we see every day,” Hellenga explains. “What would be a short commute in the Lower 48 often requires a long commute followed by a helicopter or plane ride to a remote site.”

The company provides, installs, and supports in-building communication systems called Distributed Antenna Systems-Bidirectional Amplifiers, a public safety system that helps ensure first responders remain in contact when in such challenging areas as stairwells, underground tunnels, parking garages, and pump rooms. Technicians are also familiar with the Enhanced 911 system that automatically ties a location to the emergency call.

“The technologies we work with are many,” says Hellenga.

“I have surrounded myself with individuals who are the most talented in our industry,” he explains. “Without these individuals, we wouldn’t be talking about Arcticom.”

A member of Associated General Contractors of Alaska since 2016, Hellenga cites a variety of benefits: from daily use of AGC’s Online Plans application and access to the membership directory, allowing partnerships between other locally owned businesses and existing customers, to participating in the annual chili cook-off, conferences, and golf competitions.

“Arcticom is a Native-owned communications company committed to providing cutting-edge wireless technology to increase productivity that exceeds customer expectations, creating opportunities for our customers, partners and the communities we serve in both Alaska and across the United States,” he adds.

laska Native Tribal Health Consortium, or ANTHC, has an ambitious vision: to make Alaska Native people the healthiest in the world.

As a non-profit tribal health organization, ANTHC provides several world-class health programs and services. ANTHC’s Division of Environmental Health and Engineering, or DEHE, plays a significant role in creating healthy homes by ensuring that communities have access to safe, reliable, and sustainable water and sanitation.

With funding secured through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, or IIJA, ANTHC is beginning the process to build community water and sewer systems that will serve more than 2,000 homes in more than twenty-four communities. However, ANTHC leaders know accomplishing such a large vision requires a team effort.

“It’s a big endeavor to serve the unserved and underserved,” says Jerod Jones, director of project operations. “We can’t complete all the work ourselves.”

Formed in 1998, ANTHC is the largest, most comprehensive tribal health organization in the US. It’s also Alaska’s second-largest health employer, with more than 3,000 employees. The consortium takes a multi-disciplined approach to health and wellness for Alaska Natives throughout the state. In addition to health and medical services, ANTHC focuses on prevention, research and data, medical technology, advocacy, and education. Through its environmental health and engineering team, ANTHC takes an active role in updating aging water and sanitation facilities and, in some cases, building new facilities in remote communities that completely lack system-wide plumbing.

“In communities without in-home plumbing, infants are five times more likely to be hospitalized with RSV and eleven times more likely to be hospitalized due to pneumonia compared to communities with piped water and sewer,” says David Beveridge, vice president of Environmental Health and Engineering, at ANTHC. “COVID really highlighted the need for safe water to clean and wash hands. IIJA funding allows us to deliver that.”

Because of this funding, many rural communities will receive in-home running water and sewer for the first time. In Akiachak, for example, only half of the homes had running water until recently. Over the past few years, ANTHC has worked to upgrade the water facility and connect pipes to the remaining 100 homes in need of running water and sewer services. In the 90s, the western part of the community was connected to the water facility, while the eastern side hauled water and relied on honey buckets dumped at residential collection points. Last summer, the last of the remaining homes were able to turn on their faucets for the first time.

Also in the works is a project in Stebbins, with a population of about 550, to build a community-wide piped water distribution and wastewater collection system that replaces the need to haul water, use honey buckets, or solely rely on the washeteria. Richard Wooten, contract delivery team manager for ANTHC, says outfitting the community with in-home plumbing for the first time will require a high level of collaboration from everyone involved.

“We need to work together to ensure that we develop the project in a way that best serves the community,” says Wooten.

ANTHC has been an AGC member since May 2010. Jones says ANTHC frequently uses AGC’s plans room and appreciates access to AK-CESCL training for its field personnel. Wooten says networking with other AGC members is a big plus when identifying companies for future collaborations. Jones says he hopes that some of the future collaborations include a few IIJA-funded Legacy List projects.

ummer is just around the corner, and perhaps no one is feeling it like the contractors working on GCI’s Airraq Network fiber project. With plans to start barging materials into the Yukon-Kuskokwim, or Y-K, Delta region as soon as May, project contractors—including Associated General Contractors, or AGC, of Alaska members STG, Inc. and Meridian Management—are working to finalize the logistics of procuring, staging, and transporting materials in what Jed Hagan, Meridian senior construction manager, calls, “Probably the most explicit case of ‘measure twice, cut once.’”

“You want to have the timing complete; you want to have the entire materials package ready and on standby and the contractors ready to go before you pull the trigger on something like this,” he says.

The name Airraq, pronounced “EYE-huck,” is the Yup’ik word for a string used to tell stories, similar to a cat’s cradle. Ana Hoffman, president and CEO of Bethel Native Corporation, describes how the network got its name in a video GCI created.

“Understanding that fiber was going to be a loop to bring these villages and stories in, and also use fiber as a way to communicate our stories out, Airraq just seemed so appropriate,” Hoffman says in the video.

“The end result is that these communities are going to have the same services that you and I enjoy here in Anchorage—the same plans, the same pricing, the same level of speeds,” says Jenifer Nelson, GCI’s director of rural affairs. “Having fiber is that generational solution that will provide capacity and connect these communities now, until forever. So it’s really, really exciting.”

A more than 900-mile subsea and terrestrial fiber network will connect thirteen Y-K Delta communities, from Platinum to Bethel, then stretching up to Emmonak.

Before that can happen, STG and Meridian must complete surveys and site visits, finalize the design of network components, and determine how they can make use of existing infrastructure as they connect individual homes to this new fiber network.

STG completed three-dimensional drone scans to look at access in preparation for installing foundations for cable landing stations. The stations act as the bridges between the subsea fiber and the local network. Through site visits, both STG and Meridian met with community members to take a survey of available local equipment that construction crews might use and how existing land use might affect permitting.

“Field work experts looked at everything from ownership to additional permitting needs, talking to locals and finding out: this is a commonly used snowmachine route, or this is where we do some of our subsistence hunting or fishing,” Nelson explains.

STG also explored hiring opportunities among local workers. As a part of the Calista family of companies, STG will seek to put Calista shareholders to work in their own region—a strategy that will also alleviate some of the challenge of recruiting a skilled workforce from outside the remote region.

“Undersea fiber cable is not just a cable that gets bought off the shelf,” explains Meridian President Johnathan Storter. Meridian will oversea installation of cable landing stations, as well as terrestrial and tundra cable.

Marine fiber experts review the planned subsea fiber route, looking at changes in depth and terrain to determine the cable armoring scheme. Cable is then specially designed for its route.

Once the cable is manufactured, it doesn’t get shipped to the site. Instead, the lay vessel goes to the manufacturer, where the cable is loaded according to how it will be laid out.

“If someone messes up and loads it backwards, all your double armor is going through the nice sandy portion, and you’ve got no armor going over the coral or abrasive places,” Storter explains. “It’s definitely logistically challenging.”

In addition to installing foundations for cable landing shelters in each community, STG is managing the logistics of getting all project components from Anchorage to their “final resting sites,” says STG President Brennan Walsh. STG’s thirty years of experience navigating remote Alaska and understanding the seasonal changes of Alaska’s coast will be crucial as it barges and flies in equipment.

“We have a pretty vast array of communities we’re working in,” Walsh says. “Building relationships across those vendors and those suppliers is key to understanding their capacity and equipment—to understanding the nuances between a landing craft barge and a mainline barge, where those can go, and what’s needed to offload or load those pieces. All that plays into figuring out how STG can come in, perform our scope of work, and deliver in a seamless manner.”

“We attend the city halls and tribal meetings while we’re in town to answer any questions that may arise during construction,” he adds. “Then, typically after construction, I do a drive-through with the village or city [representative] and make sure everything’s to their liking. That outreach is there from start to finish.”

Project partner Bethel Native Corporation has been key to this clear communication between contractors and communities. “Getting the consent of these communities and tribe, bringing them in as partners, was really important to us,” Nelson says.

Bringing in the right contractors is also crucial to accomplishing this logistically challenging project, says Storter. “I think there’s just a certain level of maturity that comes along with belonging to an organization like AGC. It’s collaboration, willingness to work towards a common goal.”

Funding for the initial phase of the Airraq project came to the Bethel Native Corporation in the form of a $42 million grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program. An additional $31 million US Department of Agriculture, or USDA, ReConnect grant was awarded to GCI, with a second USDA ReConnect grant of $35 million going to GCI for the extension of cable to the three northernmost communities in the network.

“Big projects like this take a lot of partnerships and a lot of people to make it happen,” Nelson says. “Achieving this network is nothing short of an engineering marvel.”