D & L Construction to Replace Sourdough Creek Campground Bridge
People unloading gear at the Sourdough Creek Campground boat launch.
US Bureau of Land Management
A contractor on the Kenai Peninsula gets the $3.2 million job to replace a bridge at Sourdough Creek Campground north of Glennallen. The Federal Highway Administration – Western Federal Lands Highway Division awarded the contract to D & L Construction of Cooper Landing.
Great American Outdoors
The project will replace the existing 50-foot bridge rated for reduced loads with an expanded 90-foot bridge to accommodate the river floodway and provide a higher load rating far more suited for campground visitors driving RVs and hauling boats and trailers. Work will continue through the summer to improve public access to the campground’s forty-two campsites, interpretive trail, and boat launch.
“We’re really excited about this significant upgrade to the Sourdough Creek Campground bridge and the improved experience it will offer visitors,” said Curtis Fortenberry, Alaska State Engineer for the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM). “The popular campground is a local favorite for recreational fishing, berry picking, trapping, boating, subsistence hunting access for caribou and moose, and the boat launch is the preferred take-out point for float trips down the Gulkana Wild and Scenic River.”
Current Issue
May 2024
A temporary bridge will be installed to maintain summer access. Completion of the new bridge is expected this fall. Potential travel delays resulting from the construction at Mile Post 147.5 of the Richardson Highway should be minimal, according to BLM.
Funding for this project is provided by BLM and the Great American Outdoors Act, which was signed into law in 2020 and provides major investments to address deferred maintenance at recreational public lands. The act allotted more than $376 million in deferred maintenance and repair funds to US Department of the Interior land management agencies in Alaska.
D & L Construction has been operating out of Cooper Landing and Soldotna since 1985.
Making History
The track of oil and gas development in Alaska shows the footprints of bold companies and hard-working individuals who shaped the industry in the past and continue to innovate today. The May 2024 issue of Alaska Business explores that history while looking forward to new product development, the energy transition for the fishing fleet, and the ethics of AI tools in business.