Legislature(2021 - 2022)BARNES 124
02/03/2022 01:00 PM House TRANSPORTATION
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation: Dotpf Winter Storm Response and 2021 Operations Overview | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE
February 3, 2022
1:09 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Grier Hopkins, Chair
Representative Sara Hannan, Vice Chair
Representative Louise Stutes
Representative Harriet Drummond
Representative Tom McKay
Representative Kevin McCabe
Representative Mike Cronk
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION: DOTPF WINTER STORM RESPONSE AND 2021 OPERATIONS
OVERVIEW
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
RYAN ANDERSON, Commissioner Designee
Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented a PowerPoint, titled "Alaska
Department of Public Facilities Department Overview."
ROB CARPENTER, Deputy Commissioner
Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Addressed the department's budget during
the PowerPoint presentation.
LANCE MEARIG, Director
Southcoast Region Division
Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Addressed the Southcoast Region of Alaska
during the PowerPoint presentation.
WOLFGANG JUNGE, Director
Central Region Division
Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Addressed the Central Region of Alaska
during the PowerPoint presentation.
JOE KEMP, Director
Northern Region Division
Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Addressed the Northern Region of Alaska
during the PowerPoint presentation.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:09:20 PM
CHAIR GRIER HOPKINS called the House Transportation Standing
Committee meeting to order at 1:09 p.m. Representatives
Drummond, Hannan, McKay, McCabe, Cronk, and Hopkins were present
at the call to order. Representative Stutes arrived as the
meeting was in progress.
^PRESENTATION: DOTPF Winter Storm Response and 2021 Operations
Overview
PRESENTATION: DOTPF Winter Storm Response and 2021 Operations
Overview
1:10:11 PM
CHAIR HOPKINS announced that the only order of business would be
the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities'
presentation on winter storm response and its 2021 operations
overview.
1:11:25 PM
RYAN ANDERSON, Commissioner Designee, Department of
Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF), presented a
PowerPoint, titled "Alaska Department of Public Facilities
Department Overview" [hard copy included in the committee
packet]. He emphasized the unique geography of Alaska, which
has six distinct climate zones and different maintenance
districts. He added that maintenance depends on the terrain
within the district. He pointed out how the department
addresses seismic activity, manages the large number of the
state's airports, and manages the ice roads, which are important
to small communities for commerce and freight. He stated that
the department works with the 231 Tribes and cultural groups to
ensure these communities are getting the most out of DOT&PF
projects and facilities.
1:15:29 PM
ROB CARPENTER, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Transportation
and Public Facilities, addressed the department's budget during
the PowerPoint presentation. He gave information about the
statewide capital budget, shown on slide 3. He stated that much
of the department's funding goes towards contractors and
consultants. Designing, engineering, and construction oversite
also make up a significant portion of the DOT&PF operating
budget. A portion of its funding comes from federal sources,
mainly the general fund match. The Highways Equipment Working
Capital Fund is an internal service fund used to replace
equipment.
1:19:07 PM
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE ANDERSON continued the presentation on
slide 4 and discussed challenges facing the department,
including a limited workforce in certain locations, along with
recruitment and retention. Other challenges involve a stressed
supply chain and increased costs. In response to Representative
Stutes, he expressed the necessity for state funds to be used to
be able to hire a grant writer, who could them apply for federal
grants. For additional funding sources, he pointed out the
department could hire contractors to write grants, tap into the
potential of the Alaska Municipal League, and compete nationally
for discretionary grants. However, he said that with increased
project miles comes increased costs for maintenance, these
challenges could be solved with innovation.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE ANDERSON summarized the department's
infrastructure, stating that there are 11,756 miles of roads
maintained by DOT&PF. He stated that compared with many other
states, this is relatively few. He pointed out that the Alaska
Marine Highway System (AMHS) is unique to Alaska. He continued
that 839 bridges and public facilities will require special
focus soon, while three tunnels in the state are owned and
maintained by DOT&PF, including the 2.5-mile Anton Anderson
Memorial Tunnel near Whittier. He concluded that there is
approximately $12.6 billion in transportation asset
infrastructure.
1:29:00 PM
LANCE MEARIG, Director, Southcoast Region Division, Department
of Transportation and Public Facilities, addressed the
Southcoast Region of Alaska. He proceeded to slide 6,
discussing the additional $475,000 in overtime and commodities
usage in December 2021 through January 2022. This is compared
to the same timeframe in the prior fiscal year. In the
Southcoast Region there were increased road closures which
impacted the public and the safety of plow crews. There were
diverted and canceled flights due to icy conditions on airport
surfaces. Existing drainage infrastructure, such as ditches and
culverts, are undersized to handle the volumes of water created
by high intensity "atmospheric river" rainfall events in the
region. He confirmed that the formula funding will cover
culvert and ditch upgrades and improvements as part of regular
maintenance and operations. Moving to slide 7, he pointed out
the details of the Southcoast Region Maintenance Districts. In
response to a committee question concerning staffing shortages,
he recalled the vacancy rate being around 10 or 12 percent and
up to 50 percent in some remote areas. He offered to follow up
with more detailed vacancy rates to the committee.
1:37:21 PM
MR. MEARIG listed projects which are upcoming and currently
happening in the Southcoast Region Division. He expressed the
opinion that 2022 is going to be one of the biggest construction
years on record. The Katlian Bay project in Sitka is the most
difficult project in the region and will likely run out of
funding because of challenges and change orders. It is
estimated that the project will continue through the 2025
construction season and cost another $20 million to complete.
He explained that the Katlian Bay project was created to connect
access for recreation and subsistence use for the residents of
Sitka. The road connects to a network of U.S. Forest Service
roads which have already been constructed. In the end the
project will cost about $69 million, as the road involves about
seven miles of new road construction and was a voter-approved
project in the 2012 bond package. He stated that in Juneau, the
Egan Drive and Yandukin Intersection Improvement Project is in
its highway safety improvements phase. He stated that
construction will involve a speed zone and turning lanes, and it
is slated to begin construction next summer.
1:51:56 PM
MR. MEARIG listed a few upcoming projects. He stated that work
will begin on the Ketchikan Herring Cove Bridge Improvement
Project this summer. He stated that the Sitka Sawmill Creek
Road Resurfacing and Pedestrian Improvements will start and end
this upcoming summer, and the State Street Pavement and
Rehabilitation Project in Skagway will begin in 2022 and finish
in 2024.
1:54:13 PM
WOLFGANG JUNGE, Director, Central Region Division, Department of
Transportation and Public Facilities, addressed the Central
Region of Alaska. He noted that the Central Region Division
serves over 100 rural communities and Alaska's most populated
urban areas, including Anchorage, the Matanuska-Susitna Valley,
and Kenai. The division not only includes road networks, but it
also has an aviation network of 70 airports, including the
busiest airport in the state. He added that the division also
maintains the longest highway tunnel, which connects Whittier
with the National Highway System.
1:56:02 PM
MR. JUNGE, in response to a question from Chair Hopkins
concerning aging equipment, said the Highways Equipment Working
Capital Fund receives contributions each month, which aggregates
money so when a piece of equipment needs to be replaced, capital
credits in the fund can be utilized. Currently, the department
needs two more plows and is using decommissioned vehicles in the
meantime.
1:59:10 PM
MR. JUNGE proceeded to slide 4, titled "Central Region
Maintenance Accomplishments." He stated that there were two
emergency responses in 2021, including a Hatcher Pass avalanche
and the Sterling Highway mudslide. In both cases, the
department was able to respond quickly and close the road on
both sides. Safety crews worked to assess and remove snow or
debris. Communication with the public via social media and the
Alaska 511 communication system was successful. As a result of
these situations, he said, the region's crews began pre-staging
equipment in key areas to expedite response times. He described
the innovation with "road swaps." He stated that the Matanuska-
Susitna Borough, Anchorage, and Kenai collaborated by trading
the maintenance of several smaller roads. This exchange helped
with the increased costs associated with continuous sliding
systems along these high-volume corridors.
MR. JUNGE addressed the Anchorage energy project, which resulted
in 3,500 streetlights being upgraded to LEDs. A wireless
control network was implemented to monitor and control the
lights remotely. He stated that this project was funded by
energy-cost savings from the LED upgrades. He addressed salt
brine locations, which have been strategically placed throughout
the region for use when the environmental conditions are
favorable. This is opposed to the use of sand and salt.
MR. JUNGE detailed some new and ongoing capital improvement
projects. He stated that there are 150 construction staff who
are responsible for all highway and aviation projects. On
average, the department administers between 30 and 50 projects
per year for the Central Region Division. In addition to the
department staff, consultants are heavily relied upon under the
direct supervision of project managers. He stated that the goal
of the department is to minimize construction impacts to the
public while delivering necessary capital improvements. He
related that he anticipates a robust construction program for
2022, with $500 million going towards highway and aviation
projects. He stated that in 2022, Anchorage will receive 17
federally funded construction projects.
2:09:36 PM
MR. JUNGE described some of the 13 major construction projects
on the Kenai Peninsula for this year. Most notably, he said,
the Sterling Highway Milepost 45-60 Project will be entering its
second year of construction, with an expected completion date of
2027. He said the estimated cost of $500 million is for the
entire project duration. He added that work will also begin on
the Seward Highway Milepost 17-22.5 Rehabilitation Project.
This project will replace and rehabilitate bridges, widen the
highway with minor realignments, and create slow vehicle
turnouts for added safety.
MR. JUNGE informed the committee that the Matanuska-Susitna
Valley is the fastest growing area in the state, with over 50
construction projects this year. Construction will begin on
phase one of the Knik Goose Bay Road Reconstruction Project.
This project will turn the existing two-lane road into a divided
four-lane highway. He continued that larger capital improvement
projects involve a deliberate public involvement planning
process where stakeholders are invited to make comments and
express concerns. With the potential establishment of the
municipal planning organization in the Matanuska-Susitna
Borough, stakeholder involvement will increase, which will
benefit future projects.
2:19:53 PM
MR. JUNGE noted that the Seward Highway Safety Initiative is in
its final chapter of eliminating the last remaining safety
corridor in the state. Improvement of 28 miles of the highway
remains, including a two-lane road with challenging curves,
guardrails, and cliffs. The peak summer traffic has over 21,000
cars per day, and the two-lane section quickly becomes
congested, and this causes driver frustration and crashes.
Between one and four deaths per year occur due to crashes in
this area. The plan involves the construction of interchanges
at the Girdwood turnoff and the Sterling Highway intersections,
along with reconstructing the highway between Indian Valley and
Rabbit Creek Road. Construction for this project is anticipated
to begin as early as 2024. He remarked that pedestrian and bike
paths are included in the plans for this stretch of road. He
stated that the estimated total cost for the Seward Highway
Safety Initiative is $700 million.
2:24:38 PM
MR. JUNGE addressed two major weather events which impacted the
transportation system in the Central Region in the past year. A
mudslide at milepost 50 on the Sterling Highway caused a few
days of limited travel for the public and cost about $150,000.
The second major weather event was a wind event in Matanuska-
Susitna Valley. The estimated windspeeds were above 80 mph,
with wind chills down to -35 degrees Fahrenheit. He stated that
conditions were dangerous, and damage to signs and traffic
signals was significant. Ongoing wind resulted in power outages
which delayed repairs for several days. He stated that the
estimated costs came to $160,000.
2:26:52 PM
MR. JUNGE pointed out slide 20, which displayed the rural
aviation capital improvement grant for the Central Region
Division. He said this will include nine rural airport
projects, with a value of $183 million. He said that one of the
projects involves relocating the Newtok Airport because of
coastal erosion, with a cost of $31 million. He explained that
each of these nine projects will improve airport conditions and
safety, decrease maintenance, and prevent further erosion of
airport facilities. These projects are vital for connecting
rural Alaskans with the Alaska economy. He said 81 percent of
rural airports are not connected to the road system, and air
travel is the only travel for some rural communities, which
includes emergency medical travel.
2:28:19 PM
JOE KEMP, Director, Northern Region Division, Department of
Transportation and Public Facilities, addressed the Northern
Region of Alaska, concentrating on maintenance and operations.
He stated that the Northern Region is the largest region in the
state with 104 airports and 35 maintenance stations. The
average equipment age is 7 to 14 years. The Northern Region
Division has the lowest staff vacancy rate, with only two
vacancies currently. He said the region's construction season
for 2022 is expected to be robust with approximately $273
million in contractor payments. There are 42 new projects in
the region totaling $183 million, as well as the 22 projects
carried over from 2021, which totals $90 million.
2:34:11 PM
MR. KEMP stated that there are 16 new projects in Fairbanks and
North Pole. He said that 12 carryover projects have been
strategically spaced to ease complications with the increased
number of ongoing projects. He continued that the Selawik Barge
Landing Access Road and Boardwalk Improvements Project will be
constructed in 2022, with a cost estimate between $5 million and
$10 million. He stated that the Lake Louise Road Milepost 9-19
Resurfacing Project contract was awarded for $6 million. He
stated that this work will start around May 2022. The
resurfacing project will include a chip-seal surface treatment
to minimize dust. The final design was recently submitted by
the consultant for the Alaska Highway Milepost 1235-1252 and
1222-1226 Rehabilitation Project and will likely be a two-year
project due to its complexity and the length of the road. This
project will include foamed asphalt to prevent frost heaves and
cracks.
2:46:52 PM
MR. KEMP described the weather events in December 2021, which
involved heavy precipitation followed by winds and extreme cold.
Many roads were completely closed from the weather. All
stations responded with crew overtime. Off-shift operators from
Dalton were utilized, as well as additional contractors who were
all extremely helpful. He stated that this required an
additional $2.5 million.
2:53:23 PM
CHAIR HOPKINS thanked the presenters.
2:54:46 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Transportation Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 2:54
p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| DOTPF HTRA - Overview and Weather Response 2-3-2022.pdf |
HTRA 2/3/2022 1:00:00 PM |
DOTPF 2021 Overview and Severe Weather Response |