Talkeetna dike repair to begin later this month

Repair work on the Talkeetna dike and revetment is expected to begin in about three weeks.

The structure was damaged in the 2012 flood, and after years of applications and appeals, the Mat-Su Borough has received funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to restore it to pre-flood condition.

Mat-Su Borough Public Works Director Terry Dolan says the work will involve construction and heavy vehicles in and around Downtown Talkeetna starting around June 20^th.

The first phase of the work is hauling rock to the end of Main Street. Terry Dolan says high pedestrian traffic makes driving large vehicles during the day risky and disruptive, so the hauling is to be done at night. Dolan says the trucks will not use backup beepers or a type of compressed air brake that can be noisy. He says there will be some inevitable noise due to the trucks themselves and the dumping of rocks to make the repairs.

Terry Dolan says the goal is to strike a balance between completing the work this summer and minimizing impacts on visitors and residents.