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Alaska DOT thanks AGC members for post-earthquake infrastructure repair

Updated Feb 16, 2019
Alaska road damaged by November 2018 earthquake. Screen shot.Alaska road damaged by November 2018 earthquake. Screen shot.

During an Association of General Contractors meeting in Anchorage, the Alaska Department of Transportation recognized and thanked those who played an important role in repairing the infrastructure that was damaged by the 7.0 earthquake that shook the south central part of Alaska on Nov. 30, 2018, KTVA reports.

“It’s amazing, first of all, what you can get done when you don’t have to get permits and ask permission, when you’ve got an objective and things that need to be done jumping right in,” said Transportation Commissioner John MacKinnon, according to the news agency. “The Alaskan spirit is just incredible. And we heard word all across the country on ‘How could you fix these things so fast?’ and ‘It was so quick,’ and it was ‘Well, we’re Alaskans.’ That’s how we can do it.”

The quake damaged many roads, including Minnesota Drive’s offramp at International Airport Road in Anchorage and Vine Road in Mat-Su, but repair crews repaired them quickly so they could reopen to traffic.

“You had contractors calling up and saying ‘I’ve got assets here, capability here, what can we do to help?'” MacKinnon said, according to KTVA, adding that he hopes that spirit of teamwork continues.