CONSTRUCTION
About Bridges
Retrofits, repairs, and construction for this critical infrastructure
Hook, LLC
By Isaac Stone Simonelli
W
ith about 365,000 miles of river and thousands more miles of streams and other waterways—not to mention 6,640 miles of coastline—bridges are vital infrastructure for keeping Alaskans moving along the state’s roadways. “You’ve got to understand the geography of Alaska: to get from point A to point B, there are rivers, streams, and creeks. Everything that is fish-bearing and things of that nature has to have a bridge over it,” says Bud Courtright, a senior project manager for Swalling General Contractors, which specializes in bridge building. “In the old days, they drove across them; I think we’ve finally grown out of that mindset.” And while some smaller, fragile stream systems might have once been crossed without a bridge, there are many water crossings in Alaska where such attempts are unimaginable without a bridge—or a boat. More than $80 million has been spent on bridge retrofits, repairs, and construction in the Last Frontier since 2019, explains Richard Pratt, chief bridge engineer for the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF).
80 | July 2021
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
