Fairbanks/Interior construction section sees record year: Fairbanks saw $141 million in new construction during 2004, much higher than in previous years.(Building Alaska)

Crews working for the Fairbanks-based Denali Mechanical Inc. typically work on Interior Alaska construction job sites between July 4 and Thanksgiving, according to the company's chief executive officer, Bob Cummings.

But this year, he said his crews worked straight through the holidays and into the typically slow winter months, and will likely continue through March or April. "For us, it is unusual," he said.

The level of work for Denali Mechanical hit record highs in 2003 and 2004, Cummings said, and he expects another banner year in 2005, based on information provided to Alaska's construction sector from government agencies funding such work.

"The Corps of Engineers said they will have the largest work load they have ever had (in Alaska) ... that's not just the Air Force and Army, but all phases of the military," Cummings said. "And who knows what private development will do."

2004 A BANNER YEAR

Fairbanks city building statistics also show 2004 to be a record year for new construction, significantly more than previous years, according to Steve Shuttleworth, the city's building officer.

"Within the city of Fairbanks alone, not including the borough, we have more than $141 million in construction," he said. "The average during the last 25 years has been $42 million to $45 million."

Shuttleworth said construction values in 2003 also were higher than the city's average, tallying about $70 million. Within the last …