Date: August 28, 2014
Contact: Kris Fister, 907-683-9583
DENALI PARK, Alaska: Work has begun on a major project to replace and upgrade the
underground utility systems at Denali National Park and Preserve headquarters.Construction crews and heavy equipment are operating in the area, and visitorsand park employees are advised to heed warning signs/barricades and be alert
for construction personnel and equipment.
The park kennels is open and accessible by following the road west through the flagpole parking lot to the lower area of the lot, or by trail if it is not
closed. Visitors are encouraged to access the kennels via the free sled dogdemo shuttle buses, as they disembark and pick up passengers at the kennels
entrance.
The project includes laying new water, sewer, and propane lines in buried trenches mostly located under the
headquarters road system, and installing new propane tanks near some of the buildings. The contractor plans to work
into October 2014, as long as weather conditions allow, and will return in spring 2015 to complete the project by the end of next summer.
The purpose of the project is to provide reliable utility service for headquarters facilities, provide safer working conditions for park
staff who maintain the utilities, and increase the energy efficiency of the utility infrastructure, which will reduce the park's energy consumption and operating
costs.
The existing utilidor system consists of underground concrete and corrugated metal pipe structures that
connect the administrative facilities and permanent housing units in the headquarters area. The utilidor houses multiple utilities, including steam,
water, sewer, electric, and communication (i.e., telephone, data, fire alarm,and satellite) lines.The steam, sewer,
and water lines have not been replaced since the utilidor's construction in 1958, and are well past their serviceable life.
www.nps.gov
