The Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation has broken ground on several construction projects at Kanakanak Hospital, which cost an estimated $3.8 million and have been in the works since 2019. That work will continue through the end of September. One change includes constructing a new cell in the sewage lagoon. The corporation spokesperson, Cynthia Rogers, said this cell will help mitigate erosion on the bluff that sits between the hospital and Kanakanak Beach, where many Dillingham residents set their subsistence nets.
The hospital will also replace a wooden stave pipe with a modern sewer pipe, relocate its COVID Annex and expand the parking lots with new pavement and safety features for pedestrians, according to a press release from the corporation. BBAHC has contracted with JJC Enterprises for the construction.
Rogers said via email that the hospital is using Indian Health Service Maintenance and Improvement funds, along with other BBAHC funding, for the projects.
The press release states that visitors to the hospital can expect new traffic patterns, heavy equipment use, and parking in overflow areas. BBAHC posts traffic control updates on their website, bbahc.org.
Get in touch with the author at Katherine@kdlg.org or call (907) 842-2200.
