Project nominations will be scored using established criteria by an evaluation board. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. The State of Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) complies with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. There has been an ice road of some sort on the Kuskokwim River since vehicles first arrived in the region. Bering Strait crossing - Wikipedia Cold temperatures have lingered this winter, with the average temperature in January below five degrees Fahrenheit, according to Climatologist Rick Thoman. Every year, once the river freezes and the snow is cleared from the ice, dozens of trucks, snowmobiles and other vehicles from more than 17 different villages whiz back and forth atop it. The ConocoPhillips Alaska 2018 seismic program is complete, and the exploration drilling activity and GMT-1 construction are all on track. Leary and his team took two graders upriver from Bethel, reaching Kalskag on Jan. 8. The community of Sleetmute held a potluck for the two crews to thank them for their efforts. Starting from the end of a gravel road or pad, the snow is pushed onto the ice road route, then packed down by vehicles approved to travel on exposed tundra. Being one of the largest oil fields on the continent, Prudhoe Bay needs the ice road to ensure the important deliveries. Frozen rivers provide a relatively smooth and solid corridor for traveling in the North. This years roads were built primarily in zero- and ten-degree weather. Oh, and by the way, the road must be built of ice. The Dalton Highway starts in north-central Alaska near the town of Livengood and north of Fairbanks before snaking north through Hess Creek, jumping over the Yukon River, winding through Coldfoot, Wiseman and Galbraith Lake before ending short of the Arctic Ocean. The stores in Bethel been feeling it. Flying speeds things up, but there are still size and weight restrictions for your deliveries. There is also a seasonal ice road, from the Kuparuk Oil Field to the Alpine oil field, which cant be driven during summer months. It's home to the Iupiat people, polar bears, and seasons of 24-hour day and 24-hour night. This winter, half of the Ice Road maintenance has been covered through contributions from community stakeholders, as requested by Gov. There has been an ice road of some sort on the Kuskokwim River since vehicles first arrived in the region. Theres always a lot riding on the opening of ice roads. On our final day, we were forced to leave it on the ice to be rescued the following week. State of Alaska Funds Kuskokwim Area Winter Ice Road Alaska has some of the coldest roads in the planet but there's one more extreme than the rest: The Dalton highway is one of the most isolated roads in the world . What Ive observed is we have lost our pattern, Leary says. Theo Leavitts Ford F-150 Tremor waits for a fill-up while The Bruise gets topped off. Close to Bethel, the ice measures 3 to 4 feet. Here are 8 things that surprised us the most. - February 17, 2017 A water truck and blade add layers of ice chips and water to an ice road near one of ConocoPhillips' flow lines on the Western North Slope. Today, most residents and businesses along the Kuskokwim use the ice road to carry mail and freight, get to the hospital or clinic, and even transport school basketball teams to games in nearby villages. This article was originally published by High Country News. We were plowing back to Kasigluk, 50 miles below Bethel. Each winter, a 22-mile ice road is built to allow delivery of heavy equipment and supplies that cant realistically be delivered to Alpine by air. Summer travel across the delicate North Slope tundra must be done in low-impact, specialized vehicles or by air. Ice roads help rural communities move goods and services during winter months, and are cost effective for families. It can be a long distance between services (gas/food) and they are mostly in the dark. Some biologists say they come for the sea salt, but we say it was romance. Alaska's Ice Roads Are Melting Early This Year, With Devastating - NPR Minnesota Wild Announces 2023 Street Hockey Series and Road Tour A fun snowmobile ride on a massive frozen lake is included on this journey. Trucking Along Alaska's 'Ice Road' To Northern Oilfields Freezes To A Halt (ANCHORAGE, Alaska) Maintenance for a vital transportation link along the Kuskokwim River will be fully funded under Governor Michael Dunleavys FY23 budget. Thats their country. Ice road - Wikipedia Your guide will instruct you how to safely operate your snowmobiles before heading out onto the trail. This vehicle had to work the hardest, and received the most tugs, but ultimately made it, albeit with a few minor injuries. For the first time ever, the ice road on the frozen Kuskokwim River has been plowed to Sleetmute, a village north of Bethel. For the few months that it exists, it makes life much more convenient and much, much cheaper., Adrian Boelens, who has lived in the Yupik village Aniak her whole life, says she uses the ice road a lot. This popular add-on to your journey will have you fully experience this traditional and fun form of travel! Learn from your year-round local guide about the rural lifestyles within this beautiful corner of Alaska and the neighborly camaraderie that the extreme environment fosters, even when the neighbors are not close by. Each additional person is $179. Rising temperatures are leading to a shortening of ice road transport seasons and the melting ice roads are creating transportation challenges. One time, it almost made us cry. Closer to Sleetmute, it only measured 2 feet. Im glad we have identified funding to cover this expense from existing authorities.. In late April or early May, all the ice road teams work will melt away and thats when planning for next winter will begin. Ice roads are unique transportation links moving goods & services in rural Alaska. Is 'The Ice Road' a True Story? Details on Liam Neeson's New Movie We arrived at Napaimute at 2 in the morning, Leary said. Maintaining ice roads goes beyond plowing and placing reflectors. A Bering Strait crossing is a hypothetical bridge or tunnel that would span the relatively narrow and shallow Bering Strait between the Chukotka Peninsula in Russia and the Seward Peninsula in the U.S. state of Alaska.The crossing would provide a connection linking the Americas and Eurasia.. With the two Diomede Islands between the peninsulas, the Bering Strait could be spanned by a bridge or . Deadhorse, at Prudhoe Bay, is where the adventure gets serious. This is the Kuskokwim ice road, whose main stem can extend more than 300 miles, connecting the bulk of the regions population. Arctic Circle Northern Lights Overnight Adventure - Alaska Tours This year, the crew is also, for the first time, receiving federal money: Lawmakers included ice-road-maintenance funds, distributed through a state program called Safe Ice Roads for Alaska, in a federal infrastructure bill. Ice road trucking is one of the best paying jobs in the industry. (Update 2021 - Only tours are offered on the glacier summer of 2021). In a low snow year, snow is collected and hauled by the truck load. Ice Road Truckers (Hold the Ice) | PolarTREC Leary said the only trouble spots are in the Tuluksak River, which broke up during the December melt. You just keep it running, pal. We had a water pump go out once, but we drove down to Bethel with our truck to pick up a water pump because it was just cheaper and easier.. Fort Greely Missile Defense Base evacuated last week, but leaders wont say why, Governor issues disaster declaration for storms in Southeast Alaska, With strong sockeye showing, Kasilof River opens to dipnetters, Yupik dancing, Christian prayers mark Dillinghams blessing of the fleet, Amateur historian wins national award for podcast on one of Alaskas deadliest shipwrecks. The reality show "Ice. This length of the road is adventurous enough for many, and includes some of the most spectacular views in the nation. DOT&PF planning staff will assist communities interested in this program to prepare projects for submission and through the life of selected projects. The people of Kasigluk literally passed the hat, pitching in $5, $10, $20 each whatever they could afford. What Ive observed is we have lost our pattern, Leary said. The shelves are pretty empty. During the day, we make a stop at a wildlife viewing platform to look for moose. Related: Extreme cold temps in Bethel region mean more ice road, but river hazards remain. The teams build the roads, working toward each other, in 10- to 15-mile sections, until there is a web of roads connecting construction and exploration efforts to Alpine and the gravel road system. RT @WarClandestine: For those who think Trump shouldn't be POTUS in 2024 because he didn't fully "drain the swamp" in his first term, allow me to offer some perspective. Each time Leary saw a trooper on the ice road, he took a picture and emailed it to state officials. Embark on a truly Alaskan dog sled ride on a beautiful 160 acre homestead! Successful awardees will submit reimbursement requests for eligible costs to DOT&PF. After living in Alaska for 30 years, my husband and I took a two-week road trip through the state. Ice road routes are carefully mapped out, avoiding not just rough terrain but also grizzly bear dens, cultural sites and other potentially sensitive areas. Many villages in Alaska are connected by trails that can only be used in the winter months. See our letters to the editor policy. Left, truck tracks along the ice road. Once they hit Crooked Creek, where Zaukar was waiting for them, Leary said that it got a little easier. The Kuskokwim ice road can be up to 300 miles long and serves over 17 villages. Imagine you just bought a piece of property in an undeveloped area, 22 miles from the next small town. People were skeptical, Leary said. With delivered heating oil and diesel costs over $6 per gallon in the region, and the state in a surplus based in part on these high oil prices, Governor Dunleavy believes it is only right to provide community relief where possible. Each vehicle started with a full tank and upward of 75 gallons of fuel stored in avgas jugs. There is no other road connecting the communities; without it, people would have to rely on air travel, which isnt always an option because of bad weather or exorbitant costs. Even more record-breaking warmth means that this drive might be impossible to repeat. On our final day, we were forced to leave it on the ice to be rescued the following week. You have been on several roads in the United States that were unique for their curves, remoteness, or other out of the ordinary qualities but thats likely nothing compared to one of the USs most infamous roads: Alaskas Dalton Highway. Especially in a busy year like this one, we have to keep our focus on getting the job done safely.. A few weeks ago, Mark Leary and his crew began to plow the snow off the frozen Kuskokwim River in southwest Alaska. Tim Zaukar manages the roads for the village of Crooked Creek, and helped plow the ice road to Sleetmute. Alaska Ice Road Journey Explore a real Alaskan ice road and live like a local! We stopped at our first security checkpoint to have our drivers licenses scanned and our vehicles searched for illicit items like alcohol and drugs. Each average mile of ice road construction requires about a million gallons of ice and water. The Safe Ice Roads for Alaska program is . Our groups leader, Julian Ferreras, would continue to have power-steering leakage in his monster F-350. Oh my gosh, you gotta see it with your own eyes, said Leary, the director of operations for the road andan employee of the Native Village of Napaimute, the entity that leads the effort to establish and maintain it. Governor Mike Dunleavy with the Kuskokwim Ice Road Maintenance Crew (ANCHORAGE, Alaska) - Maintenance for a vital transportation link along the Kuskokwim River will be fully funded under Governor Michael Dunleavy's FY23 budget. A few weeks ago, Mark Leary and his crew began to plow the snow off the frozen Kuskokwim River in southwest Alaska. Enjoy the thrill on this winter ride with spectacular views. Real Ice Road Truckers | Alaska Air Forwarding This might be our last chance to ever complete it. In recent years, Leary and his crew have advocated for more state support. Leary said that some people have been vandalizing trail markers, shooting signs or running them over. Insider knowledge from a year-round local is always something to value! Carlile Transportation - Wikipedia This is a real road, Leary said. You know, its much smoother because of meltdown in December. [Sign up for Alaska Public Medias daily newsletter to get our top stories delivered to your inbox.]. We watch and observe, and deal with it.. This includes having a tough RV with 4x4 capability, and a cache of extra supplies should something go wrong. For most of the past decade, maintenance costs have been covered by donations from residents, businesses, city governments, tribal governments, village corporations, and the regional corporation in the area. 2023 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Are You Prepared to Drive Dalton Highway? This is also where firearms must be surrendered for escort to the final checkpoint. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Dunleavy. ET. Alaska Public Media 2023. When its 40 below, you never turn off the ignition. The Dalton Highway starts in north-central Alaska near the town of Livengood and north of Fairbanks before snaking north through Hess Creek, jumping over the Yukon River, winding through Coldfoot, Wiseman and Galbraith Lake before ending short of the Arctic Ocean. When we got out there in the middle of the night, they came down to the river with an envelope in their hand. Dog Mushing Add-on: Adult- $150, Child- $99. I drove most of the easy section solo before joining the crew in Fairbanks. It is not recommended to travel the Dalton Highway unless you are 100 percent confident you are up to the challenge. Alaskans often refer to the Dalton as. The estimated total funding for this award cycle will be $2 million with a maximum award of $500,000. Ferry felines, ornithopters and Tokitae going home at last! I dont think they really thought we would make it there, and we did, and I think a lot of people were surprised, Zaukar said. This unique town is built around numerous lakes and streams, with many residents choosing to live on islands and other off-road areas only accessible by boat or ice road, depending on the season. People loading up with groceries, I see people with new appliances, new furniture, cases of tissue. Right, signs guide travelers up and down the river. Rebecca Wilmarth lives in Red Devil, which is about 10 miles south of Sleetmute and one of the villages that now, for the first time, has an ice road. Directions: Head north from Anchorage on the Glenn Highway. The mission of the department is to Keep Alaska Moving through service and infrastructure., Governor Mike Dunleavy with the Kuskokwim Ice Road Maintenance Crew, Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, ALASKA DEPARTMENT of TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC FACILITIES. Frostbite is nearly instant when touching metal. Transportation on the frozen Arctic land depends on the use of ice roads. In recent years, Leary and his crew have advocated for more state support. While Alpine has its own series of gravel pads with connecting gravel roads, there is a 22-mile gap between it and the companys closest development at Kuparuk leaving Alpine completely disconnected, not just from the rest of the North Slope, but from the rest of Alaska. You spend months creating plans, getting building permits, hiring folks to do the work, purchasing supplies and finally launching construction which needs to be complete before the road melts away in less than four months time. Frozen rivers provide a relatively smooth and solid corridor for traveling in the North. After the December 2021 meltdown, the Kuskokwim River Ice Road has refrozen smooth and thick, and traffic on it is heavy. The proposed FY23 budget, as in prior years, includes $185,000 for Kuskokwim Ice Road maintenance. The optimum ambient temperature for construction is minus 20 Fahrenheit. The notice is also posted on the States Public Notice site at: A bulletin will also be sent electronically to our current subscribers through the departments GovDelivery system anyone can sign up for GovDelivery online at. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This program is designed to identify needs through public outreach and involvement, evaluate and score eligible projects against criteria, and prioritize and select projects for funding. We reached a suitable campsite early in the morning, just a few hundred yards off of an island. The traffic on it is huge. The road itself is composed of many different materials from concrete to simple gravel. That is, thick enough to support cars and without any openings that can gobble entire vehicles. The Village of Napaimutes ice road crew coordinates the majority of maintenance to keep the road open and safe for travel. Alaska Public Media 2023. For the first time ever, the ice road on the frozen Kuskokwim River has been plowed to Sleetmute, a village north of Bethel. They know it, Leary said. Gazing out of the window its hard to reconcile the two modes, and harder not to long to be back on the ice. B. They have been used for thousands of years and still connect rural communities across the state. Now, however, a changing climate and more erratic winter storms are making ice roads like this one less reliable and harder to keep safe and passable all winter long. Download the Application Available October 24th. Once projects are awarded, the next steps are planning and programming, environmental analysis, design, development, and financial close out. Its the longest ice road yet. Last winter, ConocoPhillips built the equivalent of 140 miles of ice roads and 161 acres of ice pads one of our biggest-ever efforts to support the second season of GMT-1 construction and the biggest exploration program ConocoPhillips Alaska has executed since 2002.. He puckered noticeably as we approached each significant crack in the ice, then experienced a sort of post-trauma high as soon as it was conquered , a pattern that would repeat dozens of times in a day. John Paul pulls white fish from a set net alongside the Kuskokwim River ice road near Napaskiak, Alaska. The unique icy area is only accessible by a fully winterized vehicle, snowmobile or by dog sled. One time, it almost made us cry. To. We dont know from year to year. This year GMT-1 construction and delivery of the drilling rigs and camps for exploration were added pressure. Alpine, located on the boundary of the National Petroleum ReserveAlaska, was developed without a permanent road connecting it to other North Slope infrastructure. It starts with a bad idea: What if we could get to Utqiavik by driving across the sea ice? It would be difficult enough in a snowcat or one of those Icelandic tundra trucks. Hope you didnt forget anything, because there will be no trips to the hardware store once the roads gone. Suggest an edit He had to go down with a truck to get his tooth repaired so he didnt lose the tooth., Boelens and her family also use the ice road to go ice fishing, visit friends, travel to nearby villages for basketball tournaments, and drive to Bethel to buy appliances, recreational gear, and raw materials, such as lumber. The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) has established a new program for communities to competitively access funding for ice roads. In past years, the Kuskokwim River ice road has cost more than $300,000 to maintain, Leary said. But Leary says the tribe saw a need to begin maintaining it about a decade ago to facilitate transportation of wood products during the winter, and to keep the route safe and clear for the thousands of residents who live along the river. But money isnt Learys only worry. It also helps lower staggeringly high food costs at a time when food security needs and inflation have dramatically increased. Drive Time: 3 hours. Unprecedented weather and warming from climate change are shortening the ice roads season and hampering its reliability; warm winter storms can thaw rivers in places, making ice roads hazardous or impassable. Victoria Petersen is a freelance journalist living in Anchorage, Alaska. Traffic is heavy on the Kuskokwim Ice Road, which stretches from The ice roads you see on TV, they have an industry behind themoil companies and mining companies, Leary says.
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