Photo provided by Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
t. Mary’s, 5 miles up the Andreafsky River from the Yukon River and about 450 air miles west-northwest of Anchorage, is the largest village on the Lower Yukon, with a 2023 population of 548. The city and its surrounding communities are not connected to the Alaska State Highway System, so most freight is flown in. The aging St. Mary’s Airport, originally constructed in 1950 and last updated in 1998, recently underwent a number of improvements in order to remain a safe and efficient hub for residents, visitors, bypass mail, cargo, and more.
“St. Mary’s Airport was experiencing drainage issues, as well as degradation of the runway and taxiway surfaces, and also needed upgraded airport lighting as well as improved navigational aids,” explains Paul Walsh, project manager for Brice, Inc.
Photo provided by Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
The two-year, $53.5 million project involved rehabilitating all airport surfaces, encompassing a roughly sixty-nine-acre area. Brice also installed a new airfield electrical system and paved a portion of the airport apron.
However, one of the most significant tasks related to the airport work was developing a new source for quality surface course materials for the project. Ultimately Brice established a quarry site on Pilcher Mountain near Marshall, about 65 miles up the Yukon River from St. Mary’s. This required substantial upgrades to haul routes and the construction of a new barge landing facility to export the processed surface course materials.
“As we began work on the St. Mary’s Airport, we also started development of the Pilcher Mountain Quarry. The development of the new quarry was an important part of our work plan and key to the overall project’s success,” says Walsh.
Photo provided by Brice, Inc.
“Brice, Inc. and Calista Corporation had been looking at developing a quarry there for a number of years, and the St. Mary’s project was a large enough project to warrant development of that site,” Walsh says.
A 2016 proposal to shorten the runway to meet safety standards generated significant public controversy. In 2017, HDL Engineering Consultants, LLC was hired to create a detailed aviation forecast and airport layout. In 2019, the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, approved the existing runway length, along with DOT&PF’s plan to use a displaced threshold on the south end of the runway to meet safety area standards. DOWL was hired in 2020 for environmental and design efforts.
“There were a number of challenges involved in this project, including the fact that the local material around St. Mary’s and Mountain Village is a softer material and doesn’t make a good surface course,” says Johnson. The material breaks down over time from traffic and drains poorly, resulting in soft spots in the runway, he explains.
Brice began mobilizing for the St. Mary’s project in 2023, using all three of its barges to move equipment and supplies to the community. But that mobilization wasn’t without its own challenges.
“It’s western Alaska, so of course we had problems with weather,” laughs Walsh. “We also had other delays, including the fact that one of our boats was out of commission for a couple weeks during the critical mobilization period, due to an earlier incident. Luckily, we were able to refine our mobilization lists and enlist a third-party freight company to help deliver what we needed. It was quite a shuffle at the last minute.”
Northern Region Engineering Manager, Alaska Department
of Transportation &
Public Facilities
Because the airport needed to remain operational during construction, Brice had to schedule day and night shifts to complete the project on time. In 2023, Brice crews completed the reconstruction of cross-winds runway 6/24, as well as the resurfacing of apron and taxiway surfaces. The primary north/south runway, 17/35, was finished in 2024, along with the paving of a portion of the apron.
Several Associated General Contractors, or AGC, of Alaska member companies were subcontractors on the project: Alaska Electrical Contractors completed all electrical upgrades and Knik Construction was responsible for paving the apron. The total cost to complete the St. Mary’s Airport Improvements was more than $70 million.
In 2024, Brice began work on the Marshall Airport. Its bid incorporated the already developed Pilcher Mountain quarry and the presence in the area of a significant equipment fleet and skilled local operators who could begin work in early spring.
“So far this year, we’ve completed the runway, SREB (snow removal equipment building), and lighting package in Marshall,” says Walsh. “Next year, we’ll be improving the airport access road.”
AGC subcontractors on that project include Alaska Electrical Contractors for all lighting upgrades, Malone Construction, GHEMM Company, and Gundersen Painting. The total project cost is about $27 million.
“With the development of the quarry in Marshall, projects in the region will have lower transportation costs for quality aggregate and rip-rap products, reducing overall fuel burn, making project delivery faster, and lowering the risk of weather-related impacts versus importing on the ocean from Nome,” he says. “In addition, an economically depressed region of the state will benefit through material royalties, local employment training opportunities, and quality, high-paying jobs for years to come.”
Photo provided by Brice, Inc.
Project Manager, Brice, Inc.
“Sourcing gravel from our land is important for construction projects in rural communities. It also provides local jobs and helps lower the cost of construction, in addition to providing income to Calista and its shareholders,” says Calista Corporation Vice President of Land and Natural Resources Tisha Neviq’aq Kuhns.
The two airport projects resulted in approximately 40 percent local hire, including client representatives, direct employees, and subcontractors, according to Walsh.
He says, “At one point, between St. Mary’s and Marshall, we had nearly 100 people working—that’s a very large workforce with a significant local workforce. It’s quite an economic boon for this area.”