The Alaska Department of Transportation has contracted Hiex Construction of Haines to conduct rockfall mitigation and slope stabilization work between 5.5 and 8.5 Mile Zimovia Highway.
The work will likely begin just before Memorial Day, Hiex Construction said last week. One lane will be closed during the work and flaggers will direct traffic. Both lanes will be open during the holiday weekend, the company said.
The rockfall mitigation work is not related to the deadly Nov. 20 landslide, but rather is part of an ongoing project to address that section of highway after dozens of falling rock incidents between 2007 and 2019.
Borough Manager Mason Villarma announced at the assembly meeting April 23 that the work will cost the state roughly $750,000.
Plans to help prevent future rockfalls include breaking off loose rocks and using pry bars or inflatable airbags to wedge and expand into tight spaces to help dislodge rocks.
Some rocks will be bolted together to help hold them in place on the steep hillside above the highway. More than 300 linear feet of bolts, each 25 feet long, will be drilled into rocks and grouted into place.
Vegetation will also likely be cleared, as tree and shrub roots can open up crevices. Additionally, falling trees can pose as much of a threat as falling rocks.
Villarma looks forward to making that section of highway safer. “I know we all drive a little faster, or run a little faster through that section,” he said at the assembly meeting.
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