Posted on August 18, 2025
Maj. Steven LaFave, acting district commander; Randy Bowker, director of programs and project management; and James Sauceda, chief of the Engineering Division, participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the Barrow Coastal Erosion Project in the community of Utqiagvik on Aug. 11. They joined representatives of the North Slope Borough and the contractor to celebrate the construction of the critical shoreline protection, which began in July after the first batch of armor rock arrived from Nome on the 28th.
Utqiagvik, formerly known as Barrow, is the political and economic hub of the North Slope Borough, providing important services to surrounding villages in Northeast Alaska. The community experiences frequent and severe coastal storms, resulting in flooding and erosion that threaten public health and safety, the economy of the community, critical infrastructure valued at more than $1 billion, access to subsistence areas and cultural resources. The project will reduce the risk of storm damage to about five miles of coastline by construction of a rock revetment at the bluff area, building a protective berm and raising Stevenson Street.
The Alaska District currently anticipates completion of construction at the Barrow Coastal Erosion Project in the fall of 2033.
