Front Street project officially on duty

September 28th 4:01 pm | Hannah Heimbuch

A month before a ribbon cutting ceremony made the Shore Avenue (Front Street) project in Kotzebue official, the coastal construction passed one of its first tests.

Mother nature threw the finished retaining wall a pop quiz on storm surges in August, when water's from Kotzebue Sound pushed into the city.

"It performed as expected," said City Manager Derrek Martin. "It saved Front Street from any erosion. And we're very fortunate to have had that portion completed.

(Because) that storm surge did cause some damage in other areas of town."

Alaska Interstate Construction LLC broke ground on the bolstered street project in July of 2009, a contract supported by a $34 million dollar grant issued by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.

"It was essentially completed last fall when they paved it," Martin said. "This summer they were completing minor finish work."

The shoreline stabilization project was intended for instances just like last month's storm, the likes of which are gradually eroding a more and more vulnerable Arctic coastline. As sea ice declines, coastal communities are more vulnerable to storms and the ocean tumult they create.

The City of Kotzebue and the Department of Transportation held a ribbon cutting ceremony last week, welcoming the people of Kotzebue to enjoy the wide overlooks and long sidewalks of the completed construction, along with a meal and community gathering.

Hannah Heimbuch can be reached at hheimbuch@reportalaska.com.

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