Engineering Contractor Estimates Ore Truck Road Impacts

Ore trucks running on the Alaska, Richardson and Steese Highways between Kinross’s Manh Choh Mine at Tetlin and it’s Ft. Knox mill north of Fairbanks are projected to cause millions of dollars in pavement damage per year. Kinney Engineering has been contracted by the state to study impacts and mitigation measures along the 240-mile ore haul route, and the company’s Randy Kinney says fully loaded ore trucks, weighing 165 thousand pounds, will have significantly more impact than other tractor trailers.

“Exerts a higher load, higher wear and tear on the road than normal vehicles do.”

Kinney says ore truck axle loads, and numbers of trips per year were used to calculate an annual pavement damage cost estimate.

“Its gonna cause about $6 million per year in damage, we forecast.”

Kinney says that’s about 3 times as much as the current level.

“The money that they spend on rural sections of all three highways is about $1.9 million because of traffic damage.”

The state has yet to decide whether it will increase winter road maintenance to support ore hauling, but Kinney has also calculated a cost estimate for going to 24-7 service.

“The winter snow removal added increment of cost is about three point four million dollars.”

Kinney shared the cost estimates during a Corridor Action Plan Transportation Advisory Committee work session last week (07-26). The State Department of Transportation stakeholders group also heard lengthy, technical reports on the status of aging bridges, and safety considerations related to 86 school bus stops along the route. It was a lot of information, and committee member: Dot Lake Chief Tracey Charles Smith expressed frustration that there was no time to discuss and ask questions during the work session.

“When somebody’s asking a question, it seems like you are cutting them off, or dismissing it.”

The concern prompted the scheduling of a follow-up meeting for this coming Thursday (08-03). A draft report on ore haul route impacts, and potential mitigation measures is expected in October, prior to a series of public open houses. Kinross Ft Knox plans to begin full-scale ore-hauling operations from Manh Choh next summer. ###