The Alaska Railroad Corporation operates 13 miles of track between the Denali Park Entrance and Healy, Alaska in a corridor called the Healy Canyon. The route follows the Nenana River through a narrow canyon where ARRC has faced a long history of slope stability problems. Several mitigation efforts have been implemented over the years with varying degrees of success including drainage facilities, slope stabilizations, retaining walls, track realignments and just about anything else that anyone could imagine. In 2019 the Alaska Railroad began an FTA funded program to comprehensively catalog and begin working on issues in the canyon. Working with our contractors we located 42 retaining walls and multiple slide areas, which were ordered and indexed. We have begun work on innovative solutions within the corridor, despite the challenging conditions.

Presenters:

Jesse Moose, PE: Jesse Moose is a Project Manager with the Alaska Railroad, based in Anchorage Alaska. He received his degree in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech. His career in rail transportation has included projects across the United States with an emphasis in infrastructure. Outside of work, Jesse is a father of three and most often found as a hockey dad cheering on his children.

Noah Kimmes, PE, CEG: Noah Kimmes is a Geological Engineer with Emprise Concepts, and is based out of Anchorage, Alaska. He received a bachelor's degree in Geological Engineering from the University of Minnesota in 2014 and a master's degree in Geological Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines in 2016. Noah's career has focused on the evaluation and mitigation of geohazards including rockfall, landslides, debris flows, and avalanches. Outside of work, Noah is an avid backcountry skier, climber, and trail runner.

Garrett Yager, PE: Garrett Yager is a Civil Engineer with Michael Baker, and is based out of Anchorage, Alaska. He received a bachelor's and master’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Alaska Anchorage. Garrett specializes in surface water and drainage engineering and has a strong background in hydraulic modeling, flood analysis and scour evaluations. He has managed several projects for ARRC in the Healy Canyon including landslide mitigation and retaining wall design. Outside of work, Garrett is an avid Nordic skier but these days you will usually find him on the sidelines cheering on his three kids.