Juneau, AK — Alaskan Park relines 19 culverts with Snap-Tite

Popular Alaskan Park Relines 19 Culverts

Background
The Auke Recreational Area is located in Tongass National Forest near Juneau, Alaska and is a popular scenic beach used by Alaskan residents and tourists. The national public park is also the site of an Auk Tlingit Native American village and burial ground. The area has historic, environmental and public significance.

Problem
There were 19 aging culverts located underneath a public access road that leads to the Auke recreational area. One of the culverts serves as a stream that drains into the Auke Bay through the park, while the other 18 culverts serve as drainage pipes under the roadway. The culverts ranged in size from 24-inch to 60-inch in diameter, with a total of 1200 linear feet. The 70-yearold culverts, though still intact, were badly deteriorated, visibly rusting at the invert. This was a problem because the road above the culverts was the sole access to the popular park.

The culverts were also approximately 100 yards from the salt-water Auke Bay, which is home to wildlife such as salmon, whales, harbor porpoise, harbor seals and more. Whale watching is a popular pastime. The peak season for this popular beach also coincided with the Alaska Department of Transportation’s (AKDOT’s) fish window for addressing the problem with these culverts.