Alaska Railroad starts northern extension

Alaska Railroad starts northern extension    The Alaska Railroad Corp. (ARRC) signed a contract Wednesday with construction firm Kiewit Pacific Co. to start the first phase of the Northern Rail Extension.
   The first phase includes the Tanana River Bridge and levee near Salcha, Alaska. Key aspects include final design, permitting, right-of-way acquisition, material procurement and construction. Funding for the phase includes $104 million in Defense Department appropriations, and a $40 million appropriation in the state's capital budget.
   'Hiring Kiewit brings us one step closer to improving transportation options for the United States military, for mass transit and for freight movement within Alaska,' said Bill O’Leary, ARRC interim president/chief executive officer and chief financial officer, in a statement.
   The first phase of the extension's construction is expected to start in late 2010.
   The Northern Rail Extension includes an 80-mile rail line that extends rail infrastructure from North Pole to Delta Junction. The new rail line will provide freight and potential passenger rail services to serve commercial interests and communities in interior Alaska, ARRC said.