Reworking Western Alaska

Looking for long-term repair solutions following Typhoon Merbok

by Rachael Kvapil

fter a long winter, construction crews will return to parts of Western Alaska to complete repairs started last September after Typhoon Merbok.

This Category 1 storm included hurricane-force winds and waves that topped 50 feet. Though no injuries occurred, the storm left significant damage to shorelines, protective coastal berms, roads, and homes along the Bering Sea. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, or DOT&PF, immediately mobilized efforts both in-house and through emergency contracts to remove debris and restore road access in the five cities and villages hit hardest by the storm: Nome, Golovin, Elim, Shaktoolik, and Koyuk. And while final repairs from Typhoon Merbok near completion, DOT&PF has started to look forward to more permanent fixes in the future.

Last September, Typhoon Merbok wreaked havoc over Western Alaska with hurricane-force winds and 50-foot waves. In its wake, Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities identified five cities and villages (see map below) that needed immediate repairs to structures, roads, and coastal barriers.

Dan Hall, the president of Knik Construction Co. Inc., says his crews will return to Nome to finish road work within the town and past Cape Nome near the Safety Sound Bridge. Bent guardrails cut off access to property on the other side of the bridge after the storm. Knik Construction restored access by the end of October when they demobilized crews, but the company still has a few more tasks to finish in the area.

“We talked then about going back in the spring and fixing up that road,” says Hall. “It’s been a tough winter with a late breakup. We haven’t had a chance to assess the current shape of roads in that area yet.”

Due to DOT&PF’s ability to authorize emergency contracts, Knik Construction and Tumet Industries LLC were able to tackle repairs in Western Alaska immediately following the storm. DOT&PF secured a procurement waiver that allowed them to hire Knik Construction and Tumet, since they were identified as contractors in the region with enough equipment and personnel to do the work. Knik Construction had just completed an airport project in Nome when the storm hit, and Tumet is a tribally owned contractor based out of Nome. Knik Construction repaired twenty non-consecutive miles of roadway and embankments in Nome and along the Nome-Council Highway while Tumet cleared debris, repaired roads, and restored homes in Golovin, Elim, Shaktoolik, and Koyuk.

The following Associated General Contractors of Alaska member companies assisted Tumet Industries LLC and Knik Construction Co. Inc. with the emergency repairs following Typhoon Merbok.

Knik Subcontractors

• Pacific Asphalt
• Board of Trade, Inc.

Knik Construction worked with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to repair protective water berms destroyed by Typhoon Merbok. These berms provide flood defense and prevent coastal erosion.

Brian Herning, construction manager for DOT&PF’s Northern Region, says once Governor Mike Dunleavy issued a disaster declaration, the Federal Highways Administration granted DOT&PF 270 days to complete emergency repair work. Crews hoped to finish last October; however, freezing rain and icy conditions halted efforts.

Since the work was interrupted, the contractors were given an extension to finish armoring and adding materials to the roadway surface. Contracts for emergency repairs conducted by Knik Construction and Tumet were officially awarded shortly after crews demobilized for the winter, $8 million and $8.7 million respectively. Herning says emergency contracts are based on time (labor and equipment) and materials, due to the fact DOT&PF doesn’t have a design for the repairs or the time for a bidding process.

“There won’t be any additional emergency repair contracts,” says Herning. “Our design section is currently working on permanent repair solutions that will bring the roadway to pre-existing storm conditions. These contracts will most likely be advertised in the next year or two.”

Though smaller typhoons are common in Western Alaska, the last one of this magnitude hit in November 1974. The amount of damage left by smaller storms often depends on the time of the year in which they strike. Fall storms are often more devastating than winter storms because the ground is still soft. Once freeze-up hits, the ground and sandbars harden and are less vulnerable to damage from winds, coastal flooding, and rain.