Unalaskans aren’t used to spending their Labor Day weekend stuck in gridlock. But that’s exactly what happened on Monday, when traffic backed up across the bridge connecting Unalaska and Amaknak islands.

Granite Construction has been repaving Unalaska’s roads for about two weeks. According the contract they signed with the city, Granite is supposed to keep traffic delays to a minimum. To be exact, a flagger can’t keep you stopped for more than 20 minutes.

Nancy Peterson, the director of Public Works, says that rule has been broken -- many times.

"You know, it’s not going as well as we’d hoped," Peterson says. "Fortunately, we’re coming to a point where the traffic control, in and of itself, will improve."

That’s because Granite is about to finish repaving near the bridge. Once paving is isolated to Airport Beach Road and Broadway, near the valley, there should be fewer delays. Peterson says the city will be able to detour traffic in those areas. 

When traffic backed up across the bridge, the city’s hands were tied.

"When you have no options -- in this section of road, you have no options for detours that can keep people going between the islands -- it’s a challenge," Peterson says.

Jamie Sunderland, chief of public safety, says he doesn’t know how many times citizens have called in to complain about confusing directions from flaggers, or unmarked work sites. There are so many reports that Sunderland says the police have stopped writing them all down. 

Granite’s taken note, says Colt High, the company’s on-site engineer. High says Granite is adding more flaggers and improving its signs around town.