Haines Roadway and Culverts Project

Official Project Name: HNS Roadway & Culverts 00053 - DEC 20 SE PR
State Project No: SDRER00445

Figure 1. Project Vicinity Map

Project Overview

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) is repairing several sites damaged in the 2020 Storm in Haines, Alaska.

Purpose & Need

In December 2020, a week of record rainfall in Southeast Alaska led to widespread flooding and landslides in local communities. By the end of the storm, Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) roads in Juneau, Haines, Skagway, Hoonah, and Petersburg had sustained widespread damage. DOT&PF conducted immediate emergency repairs on numerous sites to address roadway damage, washed out culverts, filled drainage ditches, and landslides. Permanent repairs are required to rebuild Alaska’s infrastructure.
The purpose of this project is to repair infrastructure that was damaged by the December 2020 Storm event.

Project Description

Permanent repairs for Allen Menaker Road MP 0.41 to 0.58, Piedad Road MP 0.05 to 0.35, Comstock Road at MP 0.3 and Beach Road at MP 0.7, 0.8, 1.2, and 1.4 will consist of reconstructing both lanes, grading the ditch on either side of the road and revegetating the embankment. The repair will restore the road surface to its pre-disaster width and match into existing asphalt surface at the beginning and end of each repair.
Along Front Street, the work is limited to restoring the roadway embankment and reestablishing the ditch without impacting the typical section of the roadway.
There are no planned improvements to the road widths, grades, or back-slopes in this project. Changes or improvements to the existing roadway geometry are not within the project scope due to FEMA requirements that permanent repairs return the infrastructure to pre-storm conditions.
Allen Menaker Road
Permanent repairs on Allen Menaker Road will involve replacing 6 culverts, using the current codes and standards to accurately size the culverts for drainage conditions. The roadway structural section will be removed and replaced matching pre-disaster thickness and geometry. Ditches and embankments will be reestablished to maintain positive drainage. Topsoil and seeding will be placed to aid in the stability of the embankment slopes and ditches.
Beach Road
Repairs to embankments at MP 1.29 and MP 1.36 will involve reestablishing the embankment to protect the existing pipes from being undercut with future events.
Permanent repairs for four locations along Beach Road will involve the removal of the roadway surface and structural section, replacing the structural section with new material matching pre-disaster thicknesses.
At all locations the embankments and ditches will be reestablished and topped with topsoil and seeding to establish slope stability.
Comstock Road
The permanent repair for this site will include the removal of pavement, excavation of existing material, placement of new pipe using current codes and standards, placement of new aggregate material, surface course, and topsoil, seeding and surface treatment. Additional work includes culvert replacement and stream improvements meeting ADF&G fish passage design.
Front Street
The permanent repair will involve removal and reestablishment of ditch line, and topsoil and seed will be placed to maintain slope stabilization and vegetation.
Mud Bay Road
The repair at MP 1.74 will replace the culvert and reestablish the ditch line for positive drainage.
At MP 4.91, the inlet repair involves installing a headwall and reestablishing the ditch line. At the outlet the embankment will be reestablished to tie into the existing ground protecting the existing pipe.
Piedad Road
The permanent repair for this road is to replace the subbase and surface material of the roadway, replace three culverts, reestablish the ditch flow line on the north side of the roadway and reestablish a drainage swale on the south side of the roadway.

Project History

Allen Menaker Road
Allen Menaker Road (AMR) is a local road in downtown Haines. It serves as access to rural residentials and businesses. The 2022 average annual daily traffic (AADT) count in the project area was 40. Seven storm-damaged sites are on this roadway, DI#918887 AMR MP 0.40 Culvert, DI# 461232 AMR MP 0.46 Culvert, DI# 918888 AMR MP 0.5 Culvert, DI# 461233 AMR MP 0.53 Culvert, DI# 918889 AMR MP 0.55 Culvert, DI# 461234 AMR MP 0.6 Culvert and DI# 461231 AMR MP 0.41 to 0.58 road surface.

High velocity flood waters during the event overtopped the roadway and adjacent ditches washing away the roadway surface material, roadway structural section, roadway embankment, clogging pipes and ditches with debris and making the roadway impassable in some areas. Temporary repairs were conducted to restore access to the public. Drainage pipes were installed and existing pipes were slip lined to restore drainage.

Beach Road
Beach Road is a major collector, minor collector and local road located 1.5 miles from downtown Haines. It serves as access to rural residents and recreational sites in the area. The 2022 AADT count in the project area was 420. There are three damage sites on this roadway, DI# 461220 Beach Road MP 1.29, DI# 461235 Beach Road MP 1.36 Culvert, and DI# 784622 Beach Road Roadway which consist of four locations where the roadway will be repaired.

Embankments at MP 1.29 and MP 1.36 were eroded away during the event leaving the existing pipe inlets and outlets exposed.

Along Beach Road Roadway the surface was overtopped during the disaster causing debris and high velocity waters to damage the roadway surface and embankment.

Comstock Road
Comstock Road is a minor collector located in downtown Haines. It serves as access to rural residential areas. The 2022 AADT count in the project area was 100. There are two DI sites on this roadway, DI# 461652 Comstock Road MP 0.3, and DI# Comstock Road 461236 MP 0.3 Culvert. During the event the undersized culvert at MP 0.3 filled with debris blocking the flow of water through the pipe. The water eroded the surrounding embankment, saturating the embankment causing failure of the embankment and adjoining roadway at MP 0.3. A temporary repair restored drainage at a reduced capacity, and the roadway was restored to allow access to the public.

Front Street
Front Street is a major collector located in downtown Haines. It serves as access to rural residential areas and business areas through the community. The 2022 AADT count in the project area was 190. There is one DI site on this road, DI# 461221 Front Street MP 0.04 to 0.24. Debris flow and high flooding caused the roadway to be overtopped with flood waters and the adjacent ditch to be filled with storm debris. Local M&O responded initially after the storm event and were able to address the debris left on the roadway after the flood waters had dissipated.

Mud Bay Road
Mud Bay Road is a major and minor collector, located about 2 miles from downtown Haines. It serves as access to rural residential areas and recreational sites in the area. The 2022 AADT count in the project area was 750. There are two damage sites on this road, DI# 461253 Mud Bay Road MP 1.74 Culvert and DI# 461255 Mud Bay Road MP 4.91 Culvert.

At MP 1.74 flood waters overtopped the roadway, flooded the adjacent ditch and debris clogged the culvert.

At MP 4.91 flood waters eroded the inlet of the culvert and surrounding embankment. High velocity waters at the outlet cause erosion and displacement of the embankment.

Piedad Road
Piedad Road is a minor collector, located in downtown Haines. It serves as access to rural residential areas. The 2022 AADT count in the project area was 130. There are four damage sites on this road, DI# 461229 Piedad MP 0.05 to 0.35, DI# Piedad MP 0.08 Culvert, DI# 918890 Piedad Road MP 0.22 Culvert and DI# 461256 Piedad Road MP 1.2 Culvert. Flood waters and debris overtopped the roadway during the event. The roadway surface, shoulder and embankment were washed away. Temporary repairs were conducted to restore access to the public. Culverts were slip-lined to facilitate drainage. Surface material was brought in and graded to reestablish the roadway crown.

Status

The project is currently in design, and plan sets are with FEMA for review of scope and fee. Construction is anticipated to occur in 2027.

Temporary Traffic Disruptions

The project will seek to keep one lane open throughout construction with the possible exception of short temporary closures for paving.

DOT&PF will coordinate with the Haines Borough to develop a traffic control plan that minimizes impacts to residents and businesses, particularly during the tourist season, and safely guides and protects the traveling public in work zones.