A $10 million-plus project to rehabilitate the Robert E.
Galovin Small Boat Harbor at Sand Point, in Alaska’s Aleutians East Borough is
nearing completion and likely to have an official grand reopening in July, says
Andy Varner, city administrator.
For Sand Point, like many coastal communities in Alaska, the
harbor is the economic lifeblood of the city of about 1,000 permanent
residents, located on northwestern Popof Island, near the entrance to the
Bering Sea. Most residents, half of whom are of Aleut descent, support
themselves by fishing and fish processing, and the population swells at certain
times of the year with various fish harvests.
“We have a pretty big fleet that stays at Sand Point,” said
Varner.
The old harbor, built over three decades ago, was in poor
condition, with floats cracking and concrete chipping, he said. It wasn’t safe,
didn’t look good and wasn’t serving the community well, he said.
A city bond approved by residents last fall provided $3
million toward the project and the Aleutians East Borough added another $2
million. Then the state of Alaska matched those funds with another $5 million
to finance the project.
The contractor, Pacific Pile and Marine, has completed most
of the contract, with new floats, and digital meters for electricity for the
boat slips that accommodate about 170-180 vessels.
Peter Pan Seafoods buys fish and has tendering services at
Sand Point, and Trident processes Pacific cod, pollock, salmon and halibut at
their shore plant there.
Pacific Pile and Marine, having all but wrapped up its work
at Sand Point, will also be working in Kodiak on a new structure for Pier 3,
the city of Kodiak’s container pier, and starting in September, replacing the
state owned Pier 1 facilities.
Pacific Pile and Marine engineer Julian Koerner said the
city project, worth some $25 million, will involve putting in a new high
capacity steel pile supported, concrete and steel superstructure dock. The
contractor will also put up the crane rail and do all the preparatory work for
the new container crane that Horizon Lines will be installing, allowing the
cargo line to pile cargo higher on its vessels.
The $9 million Pier 3 replacement project, which involves
replacing the dock with precast concrete and steel piling support, will begin
in September, so the new pier will be operational for ferries arriving at the
start of the 2015 tourist season, Koerner said.