Alaska Truckers Concerned Over State DOT Budget Cuts Due to Plunge in Oil Prices
“Road maintenance is particularly important between Fairbanks and Prudhoe Bay, which is almost 500 miles of gravel road that’s mountainous and winding and subject to blizzards and high winds that can close the road,” Alaska Trucking Association Executive Director Aves Thompson said.
“There are [only] two spots along the way where you can stop and find rest, and they’re a far cry from a [typical] truck stop. We think DOT will come through if needed. They do a remarkable job. They’ll do the best they can, and I’m sure they’ll continue to perform at a high level, but they’re stretched very thin after the budget cut.”
Fairbanks had its first snow in late August, and Anchorage has had icy roads this month. Additionally, the Denali Highway in the center of the state likely won’t be cleared before late April even if the winter isn’t as severe as usual.
“A ‘mild’ winter doesn’t necessarily mean easier,” said Alaska DOT spokesman Jeremy Woodrow. “That might mean more freeze and thaw, which creates a lot more work for our maintenance operators. And sometimes in mild years, we have a lot more avalanches. In colder winters, the snow might be settled and not come down until springtime. It’s an El Nino year, and with our proximity to the Gulf of Alaska, that engenders a lot more winter weather. We’ll do our best with the resources we have.”
Alaska DOT has divided the state’s roads into five groups. The major non-urban freight routes have been designated Level 2, meaning they may not be cleared for 36 hours after a winter storm.
“Truckers report weather and road conditions to each other,” Thompson said. “The first question is, ‘How’s the road?' Maintenance this time of year is just keeping the road open by getting the snow off it.”
Or as Woodrow put it, Alaska has two seasons: winter and construction. The latter lasts from June through September.
“We have a great relationship with the truckers in Alaska,” Woodrow said. “Our maintenance folks know the truckers that are out there, and they stay in pretty good contact. It’s a good partnership that has been going for many years that’s even more important in this fiscally challenging year. Gov. [Bill] Walker has laid out a fiscal plan to try to close the state’s budget deficit. He has said that everything’s on the table. The department’s going to speak with the Legislature about how we operate, especially how we maintain Alaska’s roads. Hopefully, some solutions will come out of those discussions.”
Alaska Trucking will be in Juneau during the Jan. 19-April 17 legislative session to support DOT.
“We’ll be playing defense during the legislative session, trying to protect what we have in terms of resources,” Thompson said.
