A community meeting on the Kenai River Bluff Stabilization Project, originally scheduled for April 17, will now be held on April 30, at 6 p.m. in the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center.
The event will be hosted by the Army Corps of Engineers and contractors Western Marine Construction to share information and take questions on the construction process, which is scheduled to begin locally in May. The contract describes completion by February.
Originally, the event was scheduled for the same time as the Caring for the Kenai final presentations on April 17. Kenai City Manager Terry Eubank said during Wednesday’s meeting of the Kenai City Council that the bluff meeting had been rescheduled.
The bluff stabilization project aims to construct a berm roughly 5,000 feet long, stretching from the mouth of the Kenai River to near the city dock, at the bluff’s toe, to catch falling sediment. Over time, the berm is intended to stabilize erosion and allow vegetation to grow on the bluff’s face.
Originally expected to cost $41.6 million, the project is now estimated to cost around $19.3 million. Western Marine Construction will do the work of constructing the berm, including placing 42,400 cubic yards of armor rock, 33,200 cubic yards of crushed rock and 13,100 cubic yards of gravel base. Last year, they sourced and tested the rock for the project in Sand Point.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
