By Jim Henderson
GBOS Member
The Girdwood Road Service Area is commencing a series of road improvements. The total cost of these improvements plus our annual maintenance costs will, in total, be less than what we had to budget and tax Girdwood residents for road care last year.
These savings, year over year, are a function of not continuing last year’s contract with an increased hourly rate cost structure 51 percent more higher the McKenna Bros. Paving, Co. These saving are being attained while optimizing the quality of the care of our road infrastructure.
The improvements will include better dust control and road surface stabilization. This will be accomplished by pulling the ditches for improved drainage, cutting, grading, applying an asphalt emulsion, crowning and compacting several primary arteries of Girdwood The roads that will be addressed this year are our highest traffic arteries (Timberline to Alpine Meadow to Okemo to Alyeska View to Alyeska Highway, Davos to Mt. Hood to the airport and Donner Loop (Davos to Alyeska Hwy).
Additionally, the intersections of Timberline and Alyeska Highway, Alyeska View and Alyeska Hwy and Donner Loop and Alyeska Highway will be paved.
This road improvement work will commence probably the middle of May when the snow is adequately clear from the ditches and roads. There will be some inconvenience because of the additional construction equipment necessary to complete the required task on these roads. The asphalt emulsion will take from four to 12 hours to be adequately absorbed by the road surface. All the activities necessary for the completion of this work will be published and posted on the effected right of ways well in advance of the commencement of work.
We intend to duplicate this effort next year on the next tier of roads in Girdwood. Hopefully we can continue this effort until all the roads of Girdwood are brought up to a higher standard.
With all of these improvements and the normal yearly maintenance plus credits, there is anticipated to be a reduction in the roads budget portion of the tax levy of $258,000 from our previous demanded higher cost structure.
These lower costs, maybe a half a mil, will be passed on to the local taxpayer in lower property taxes. This will happen unless there is some other Girdwood community budgeted activity that occurs that increases one of those activities over last years costs eating up the road budget savings to the local taxpayer.
It is the business, objective and goal of this elected Board and specifically the Road Supervisor to maximize the road services this community receives for their tax dollar at the most economical cost.
Jim Henderson is the Roads Supervisor for the Girdwood Board of Supervisors.