Contracted crews have completed all major work on the Cooper Landing reliability project. The project, overseen by Chugach’s engineering department and completed by contractor Alaska Line Builders, covers nearly 2.9 miles of line from the Daves Creek Substation to Kenai Lake. The project increases capacity and reliability by adding poles and replacing conductors/cross arms. The first portion of the project had difficult terrain with challenging access. Additionally, extreme snow and temperatures pushed the project completion back around a month. All project construction was done with the line energized, minimizing disruptions to members. 

The much-needed replacement of a key component of Chugach’s communication network is complete. The 40-year-old Bernice Lake repeater shelter, located in Nikiski, had reached the end of its useful life and has been replaced.

The repeater is responsible for Chugach’s microwave communication between Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula. In addition to taking out the old structure and putting in a new one, the project included installation of racks, equipment, batteries, and the re-commissioning of the microwave and mobile radio communication systems.

Throughout the summer, work will continue to reinstall fencing, clear brush from key areas, and make improvements to the access road.

In partnership with a larger Alaska Department of Transportation (DOT) project, Chugach is undergrounding approximately one mile of overhead distribution lines along a section of O’Malley Road. The $22 million road project will widen O’Malley Road from Livingston Street to Hillside Drive, putting in a center turn lane and pedestrian paths on both sides.

Chugach began work with DOT contractor Quality Asphalt & Paving (QAP) in late 2021. Right-of-way clearing and directional boring was completed in March. In April, trenching and conduit installation began. Chugach’s undergrounding, funded by a combination of DOT and Chugach capital projects, is anticipated to be completed late in 2022. The larger O’Malley project is expected to be complete in late 2024.

Cooper Landing residents can expect to see significant construction activity soon as Chugach is rebuilding part of the distribution line that feeds into the community. The Daves Creek Feeder 352 originates out of the Daves Creek Substation, between milepost markers 40 and 41 of the Sterling Highway, terminating at the Russian River ferry crossing.

This project will reconstruct approximately four miles of the line from the substation to Kenai Lake. It will increase capacity and reliability by adding poles and replacing conductors and cross arms on the feeder. The construction has been awarded to Alaska Line Builders and will begin after freeze-up. The construction will be done with the line energized, minimizing disruptions to members. Construction is scheduled to be complete by the end of the year.

Chugach has other projects scheduled for the Cooper Landing/Moose Pass area. A public meeting discussing the details of these projects is scheduled for the Cooper Landing Community Club on Nov. 4, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.