22 ALASKA RESOURCE REVIEW FALL 2024 transit times to the slope. This is also an unusual year for the Dalton because new industry activity on the North Slope has added a lot of traffic. There are also tourists that truckers have to watch for, from ordinary campers to hunters, motorcycles and even bicyclists, Benson said. Although the Dalton Highway is public, “the road does not lend itself to safe transit for the ordinary citizen,” pursuing recreation, she said. Dalton Highway and Elliot Highway maintenance budgets for the State Department of Transportation of Public Facilities, or DOTPF, have been holding steady, but there is an increase this year in projects, where parts of the road are being rebuilt. About $118.5 million is being spent this year on three projects on the Dalton and an additional $44 million on reconstruction and rehabilitation on the Elliot Highway, which trucks traverse from Fairbanks to the start of the Dalton near Livengood, Workforce issues, however, are a big problem for the DOTPF as in many industries, Perreault said. DOTPF is having trouble recruiting and retaining people, he said. Myers believes one third of the maintenance positions budgeted to the Dalton are vacant. Perreault said 18 positions are unfilled. Myers said the state transportation agency did hike maintenance and operators’ wages 14% this year but pay and benefits are still below what the City of Fairbanks pays for equivalent positions, he said, and much lower than private companies pay on the North Slope and even contractors working for DOTPF. Perreault agreed. “Pay is lopsided between what private industry and the state is currently offering. This affects both recruitment and retention,” he said. “There have also been statewide (state) payroll issues that have taken weeks to months to resolve, impacting individuals as well as morale. These are starting to be resolved but there is still a backlog,” he said. The cumulative effect of these problems is longer delivery times for equipment and supplies to the slope that will raise costs for North Slope companies. More wear and year, and repairs needed, adds costs for truckers, which will push up rates up. Driver fatigue because of longer trips is also a growing concern. There have also been reports of damage to sensitive equipment moved up the Dalton by truck, Excess vibration due to rough road conditions loosened some connections in modules that were trucked north that required repairs once on the slope, adding Winter brings better driving conditions on Dalton Highway. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20
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