SECON beginning work on Bennett Street, Airport Road

Southeast Alaska construction company SECON has returned to Wrangell to do some road work. They were working in Wrangell last summer to renovate Evergreen Avenue, which runs from the ferry terminal past Petroglyph Beach, before transitioning into the Airport Road. These renovations included resurfacing the entire street and constructing a sidewalk along the road. This year, according to Project Manager Ralph Vigilante, SECON will be doing some extensive work on the other side of the airport loop, on Bennett Street and Airport Road itself.

“We’re glad to be back in Wrangell,” Vigilante said. “It was a good season last year, we’re hoping for another good season this year.”

The largest part of the job, according to Vigilante, will be on Bennett Street. This road runs from Zimovia Highway, past the Wrangell Medical Center and Evergreen Elementary School, before transitioning into Airport Road. SECON will be doing a complete rehab of this street from Zimovia to Second Avenue, beginning this week. This includes putting down new asphalt on the road, installing new storm drains, and repairing sidewalks, among other things. SECON sent out a notice via the City and Borough of Wrangell informing everybody that no parking will be allowed along Bennett Street beginning May 29. The street will also be narrowed to single-lane traffic from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Saturday. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, May 28, they also reminded the public that fines for speeding will be doubled on Bennett Street during construction.

“Please pay attention to construction signs and keep an eye out for flaggers, crew, and pedestrians while traveling through the construction corridor,” the post read.

SECON will also be doing renovation work along Airport Road, from Second Avenue to the Evergreen tie-in. This work is less extensive than that on Bennett Street, just a “general mill and overlay” as Vigilante said. Work crews will be removing the top layer of asphalt on the road and replacing it with a newer surface.

The contract for all this work is valued at $4.2 million, according to Vigilante. He said that the final completion date for the contract is set in November, but he said that they are aiming to have the work done by mid-August. For questions, SECON can be reached at (907) 780-5145.