Alaska Railroad selects construction manager for Tanana River Bridge

The Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC) and Kiewit Pacific Co. signed a contract that awards Kiewit construction management and general contracting (CMGC) work for Phase One of the Northern Rail Extension. The first phase includes the Tanana River bridge and levee near Salcha, Alaska.

Kiewit Corporation is one
of the largest employee-owned construction firms in the nation and has been
working in Alaska for more than 60 years. Projects have included the
Glenn-Parks (highways) Interchange in Wasilla and the Whittier Access Tunnel.
Kiewit was also responsible for the 1,513-foot-long Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington
State, which was the first long-span construction bridge built in the United
States since 1964.

"Kiewit Pacific Co. is a
local contractor with robust national resources and support," said ARRC Project
Manager Brian Lindamood. "We are confident in Kiewit’s ability to build what
will ultimately be the largest bridge in the state."

Key elements of Phase One
include final design, permitting, right-of-way acquisition, material
procurement and construction. Funding for the first phase includes $104 million
in Department of Defense appropriations and a $40-million appropriation in the
state’s capital budget. Phase One of the Northern Rail Extension will create approximately
100 temporary construction jobs, and completion of the entire project is
expected to create up to five permanent positions in Salcha.

"Hiring Kiewit brings us
one step closer to improving transportation options for the United States
military, for mass transit and for freight movement within Alaska. This project
will put Alaskans to work and is a win-win for ARRC, the state, and our
economy," concluded Bill O’Leary, ARRC Interim president/CEO and chief financial
officer.

Phase One construction is
anticipated to begin in late 2010. The Alaska Railroad will host a public open house
in Salcha in late fall.

The Northern Rail
Extension entails an 80-mile long rail line that extends rail infrastructure
from North Pole to Delta Junction. The new rail line will provide freight and
potential future passenger rail services that serve commercial interests and
communities in Interior Alaska. The extension will be operated as part of the
Alaska Railroad system. As a common carrier, the line will be available to the
general public and commercial and military shippers including agricultural and
resource development businesses.